How many TV lovers look forward to those Sunday nights when you gather with friends and whip up some popcorn to watch episodes of "The Walking Dead" or "Breaking Bad" or any other hugely popular show? What if you could enjoy those same TV shows on the big screen, at a move theater surrounded by dozens of other fans?
Cinemark CEO Tim Warner believes that popular TV shows landing a big screen debut is in the near future. Warner predicted to Variety that one day fans could have the opportunity to flock to the nearest movie theaters and watch key episodes of popular shows and enjoy "the twists and surprises" together.
"They build up this huge fan base and there's nowhere for the fan base to go," Warner said.
One of the shows Warner thinks should be broadcast in theaters is HBO's "Game of Thrones." He told Variety that broadcasting finales of popular shows is a definite "no brainer."
"'Game of Thrones' on the big screen would be so exciting," Warner said. "It's not that you can't go to the bar and watch this stuff, but you can't have that premium experience."
In order for this to happen, however, there would need to be better communication between media conglomerates' television and film sides, which are usually operated separately.
"They're going to have break down that barrier within the studios, so that all the content providers take a look at whatever content they're doing and say, 'Should this be going into this platform?'" Warner said. "They've got to think of the theatrical platform as the largest pay-per-view platform in the world."
According to Variety, this was recently tested with "The Night Before Our Stars" which allowed viewers, for $25, to watch a special simulcast of the premiere of "The Fault in Our Stars" which showed the red carpet action, interviews with celebrities and a screening of the film. Viewers also received a charm bracelet. Warner said Cinemark raked in about a half million dollars from its screenings.
"My gut feeling is that a lot of the other studios are going to look at it and say, 'Hey, look: When we're doing a big premiere and there's a huge fan base out there, we're going to do something similar and connect it back to that movie-going audience.'"
