Cineplex brings back $5 Tuesdays for one month

A Cineplex logo.

There’s nothing like movie night. The freshly popped popcorn and watching a blockbuster on the big screen.

"We've been very pleased, especially in the last couple of years. We see people are back in the movie theaters," said Daniel Seguin, Cineplex's senior VP of national operations.

But HEC marketing professor, Johanne Brunet, says the industry has seen changes since the pandemic.

"I think streaming has taken such a strong stance and such a strong position in the market that the experience to go to the cinema, the added value is not that strong," she said.

Theatre companies are catching on: audiences want more bang for their buck. So, Seguin says they’re offering film fans reduced ticket prices.

As of Tuesday, Cineplex will only charge $5 for admission and $5 for popcorn every Tuesday for a month.

Is a discount enough to get people back into theatres? Brunet says audiences have adapted.

"We've changed the way we do things. We've changed the way we consume. We changed the way we entertain ourselves. So streaming is really strong," she said.

At the touch of a button, streaming platforms offer a huge film catalogue, all from the comfort of your home. And Brunet says people don’t have to go far to enjoy a film.

“We do have big screen televisions, or we have a good sound system at home. We can watch it when we want and there's no one around us to talk and disturb us," she said.

Still, Seguin says going to see a movie in theatres can’t be matched.

"They want to enjoy the large screens, the social events," he said.

"It’s really a different type of experience coming down ... You could really recline, relax, have your popcorn and your drink."

Additional activities on site, he says, is another thing you can’t find at home. Cineplex’s Royalmount location has an arcade with 90 games and even a bowling alley.

One mom told CTV News her family specifically goes to the theatre for The Rec Room as they can't bring their baby to the cinema.

CTV News spoke with other moviegoers who said there’s no substitute for going to the cinema.

“I feel like it's better to go outside than stay inside and watch things on the internet. It’s just better because it’s on a bigger screen, so it’s a different kind of feeling," one said, adding that popcorn with the movie theatre butter is a whole experience in itself.