Gone are the MoviePass days where you could see as many movies in theaters as you wanted for $10 per month. But a new version of the company is relaunching soon.
WASHINGTON — MoviePass, the movie theater subscription service that shut down after offering seemingly too good to be true deals, is making a comeback. But don’t expect the same deals this time around.
The previous iteration really took off in August 2017 by offering consumers the ability to see one movie every day of the year for as little as $10 per month. It was a great setup for a while, but MoviePass eventually had to raise prices, limit access to certain films and restrict the number of movies its subscribers could see each week.
It shut down for good in mid-September 2019. Now nearly three years later, MoviePass is plotting its big screen comeback.
While details remain limited on exactly how the new operation will work, the company posted on its website that the new “MoviePass Beta service” will be relaunching around Labor Day.
According to the site, those interested in joining the MoviePass Beta App have to sign up on a waitlist – which will be open for 5 days starting on Thursday at 9 a.m. Eastern.
The website notes that the new MoviePass won’t be available nationwide at first. Instead, markets will be launched in waves determined “on level of engagement from the waitlist in each market as well as locations of exhibition partners.”
So how much will the new MoviePass cost?
The company says there will be 3 pricing tiers for those who sign up after being on the wait list: $10, $20 or $30. The site notes those prices could vary “depending on each market.”
“Each level will get a certain amount of credits to be able to use towards movies each month. More details to come,” the website states.
MoviePass claims the new service will include all major theater chains that accept credit cards in the U.S.
Business Insider reporter Jason Guerrasio, who was first to report the relaunch plans, shared an image of the MoviePass card for the new service.
A lot has changed since MoviePass first launched. The movie theater industry is still facing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and major chains including AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas have their own successful subscription services with millions of customers.
This summer’s $3.3 billion in ticket sales is still running nearly 20% behind the summer of 2019, before the pandemic, as of Sunday, according to data firm Comscore.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.