STUDIOS PAYING THEATERS FOR MORE MOVIE TRAILERS

For the first time, studios are paying movie theaters in the U.S. to run additional trailers for their movies, the Hollywood Reporter reported today (Tuesday). Often a studio attaches one or two trailers directly to the print of its current release, but the total number of trailers appearing before a movie now averages 5-7 lasting about 2 1/2 minutes each plus additional 30-second “teasers.” And, the Reporter article disclosed, Paramount is attaching three trailers for its upcoming releases to prints of Iron Man 2 next week. The trade publication suggested that the studio is paying theaters to run the additional trailers. It cited an unnamed distribution insider as saying that studios spend $30 million annually to guarantee at least one trailer on every screen for an entire year.