MPA Chief Charlie Rivkin Assures Theater Owners 'We Stand With You,' Highlights Incentives, Push For U.S. Production
Motion Picture Association President and CEO Charlie Rivkin had words of solidarity for theater owners, telling the group assembled at CinemaCon that 'we want what you want — great movies that draw big audiences to your theaters.'
At his annual keynote, he recalled the recent pledge by the MPA's latest member, Amazon MGM Studios, to release 12-14 films in cinemas next year in a commitment to theatrical exhibition.
More from Deadline
CinemaCon 2025: First Looks & Big Reveals in Photos
Sam Mendes' 'The Beatles' Movies, All Four Of 'Em, Are Coming Out In April 2028; Cast Confirmed – CinemaCon
'Karate Kid: Legends' Gets Extended Look At CinemaCon
That said, 'I recognize that our path can seem uncertain right now – that we're all feeling a bit of volatility on the road ahead. We get it. We hear you. And just know that the MPA remains your partner.'
The exhibition industry has been rattled by a shaky first quarter and a growing feeling that studio partners need to shed practices that started during Covid and step up.
RELATED:
Rivkin's remarks focused on the MPA's work as the leading voice for the motion picture industry worldwide and its efforts 'to bring more films to theaters across the globe.' Leading that push is the group's push on incentives that 'bring production to our hometowns and reinforce our country's competitive edge – to get more storytellers, producing more stories, in more places, which translates into more films coming to a theater near you.' The U.S., he said, should be more competitive.
'The MPA is out making the case to policymakers in Washington D.C. and U.S. state capitals that film production matters. That production is worth their time and attention. That production is a boon to their constituents – and a down payment on our nation's future.
'We talk to them about how a major motion picture will pump, on average, $1.3 million per day into the local economy when we're in production – paying over $17 million in wages to nearly 1,600 local hires on location, all of them doing jobs that pay 64 percent higher than the national average,' he said. 'We shed light on the ways that hubs of production become hubs of economic activity. '
He noted a sweetened package working its way through California, where runaway production has squeezed the industry. The state just announced a record 51 films set to receive tax credits – a slate that'll lead to nearly $580 million in economic activity, he noted. The MPA is working with the legislatures in New York, which has sweetened incentives in its latest budget proposal, and other states.
'When done right, incentives bring production. Production brings jobs. Jobs bring paychecks to local households and opportunity to local businesses. All of it brings movies to your theaters and injects growth into the communities that buy tickets at your box offices,' he said.
RELATED:
But 'there's more the MPA can and should do if we want to sustain a future of American leadership in production. So together with our Union and Guild partners, we will be pushing for greater action at the federal level this year. We will keep fighting to extend tax measures that encourage investments by studios. We will explore new policies designed with a singular goal in mind, to ramp up filmmaking and create jobs for our workforce.'
'We are standing with you,' he told theater owners, 'and we always will, in pursuit of our shared mission: to bring the next generation of remarkable movies to your theaters; to build robust hubs of production in your communities; to create a thriving culture of creativity everywhere and a dynamic industry for audiences, casts, crews – for everyone.'
Best of Deadline
2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
Everything We Know About 'Black Mirror' Season 7 So Far
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Coney Island Mermaid Parade makes a splash once again
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade made quite a splash once again. The 43rd annual event — the nation's largest art parade — welcomed revelers close from the Big Apple to around the world, many donning over-the-top aquatically-themed costumes for the tropical festivities. 'It's a great expression of people's creativity,' gushed Noella Owen, 53, of Brooklyn, who attended with her two children, aged 11 and 12. Advertisement The trio, who show up annually, hand made their marine-centric ensembles. 'My kids are dressed as krill and they wanted me to be a blue whale because of their fat jokes,' Owen said. 6 Many came to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade donning aquatically-themed costumes. Michael Nagle Advertisement The joyfully unconventional parade kicked off at 1 p.m. and the crowd quickly swelled to 30,000, which included marchers, spectators and those on the boardwalk, according to police. Caroline Northrop, 44, a public school teacher from Atlantic Highlands, N.J., also expressed her love for the unique 'celebration of creativity.' '[It] shows so many people are still creative even with AI everywhere, it's so refreshing,' said Northrop, who donned a 'woodland enchantress' outfit decorated with fake mice. 6 The joyful event dates back to 1983. Michael Nagle Advertisement 6 Victor Gonzales spent a month creating his outfit. Khristina Narizhnaya Victor Gonzales, 39, a civil engineer who lives in Queens, dressed as a lion fish, and said it took him one month to painstakingly create the costume. 'Because I have to sew, I have to do this structure. I have to design the makeup as well. Today, [it took to get dressed] probably about two and a half hours … I have to glue on the paper things,' he explained. Each year, a new King Neptune and Queen Mermaid are crowned — Ukrainian-American singer and Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz and Bed-Stuy based pornstar Queenie Sateen were awarded the day's honors. Advertisement 6 Eugene Hütz and Queenie Sateen were crowned King Neptune and Queen Mermaid. Michael Nagle 6 There were 30,000 at the festivities, according to police estimates. Michael Nagle Hütz, who has been living in New York since 1997, was not only finally able to attend this year, but take on the venerable title. 'Every year I hear about it and … some kind of a big splashy burlesque action … and I'm always on tour,' he said. 'And all these years go by like that, let's finally see it already, you know? And then this year, miraculously, we're touring in the later part of the summer, not earlier part of the summer. And I get a call, so it's like, you know, 10 out of 10.' 6 Paula Carlson dressed as a 'more modern mermaid.' Samantha Olander Paula Carlson, 47, of Bay Ridge, a retired emergency manager, dressed as a 'more modern mermaid' in homage to Hütz. 'I wanted to pay tribute, because it is Eugene [Hütz as King Neptune] and he's Ukrainian, to the Rusalka, which is the Ukrainian myth of the mermaid, and she brings water to all of the crops.'
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
In 2026, the Party's in the USA. Here's Where to Celebrate
Whether you're a history buff, sports nut or road warrior, there are compelling reasons to visit the United States in 2026. That's because the nation will celebrate its 250th birthday, soccer will crown its world champion and America's Mother Road turns 100. So there's plenty to celebrate in 2026. Here's where to find the party. Philly is, quite literally, the birthplace of American democracy. Philadelphia's Independence Hall is the room where it happened – "it" being the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. In addition to history, this Pennsylvania city will debut the Ministry of Awe. It's a former bank, now owned by a group of artists who have turned the six-story building into a traversable immersive work of art where you can make a deposit or a withdrawal of awe. How cool is that? For film buffs, 2026 also marks the 50th birthday of the first "Rocky" movie, so there will be Rocky-themed tours. And, of course, you'll want to run up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. SheBuysTravel Tip: Here's how to spend a weekend with girlfriends in Philadelphia. And here are fun things to do with kids in Philly. This is the state on my to-do list for 2026. It will be my 50th state.. And the reason to visit: The opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library honoring the nation's 26th president. I'm a sucker for a good presidential library. I love seeing the way their actions are portrayed in a positive light. (If you don't believe me, stop by the Herbert Hoover presidential library in West Branch, Iowa. It makes the president who presided over the Great Depression look like a great leader.) I was surprised to learn that Teddy, a strong leader and fierce conservationist who created five new National Parks, never had a presidential library. But, as the library notes on its website, "The world needs Theodore Roosevelt now more than ever." SheBuysTravel Tip: Check out these fun things to do in Medora, ND. Known as football to the rest of the world, the premier soccer championship will take place in North America, with games set for Canada, Mexico and the U.S. American host cities are: AtlantaBostonDallasHoustonKansas CityLos AngelesMiamiNew York/New JerseyPhiladelphiaSeattleSan Francisco Bay Area Philadelphia gets bonus points on the sports scorecard. It also will host the National Football League draft, the Professional Golf Association championship and the Major League Baseball All-Star series in 2026 – all over the course of eight weeks next summer. Route 66, America's legendary highway affectionately known as "The Mother Road," hits the century mark in 2026. The iconic Route 66 winds more than 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. Immortalized in song, people have been getting their kicks on Route 66 since 1926. Route 66 became the go-to path for classic American vacations complete with neon-lit roadside motels, giant roadside attractions, and diner milkshakes. The highway winds through eight states: IllinoisMissouriKansasOklahomaTexasNew MexicoArizonaCalifornia Though it was officially retired from the U.S. Highway System in 1985, Route 66 never really went away. Instead, it became a living time capsule, lovingly preserved by fans, travelers, and small towns that keep its magic alive. Now, the road is gearing up for a coast-to-coast birthday bash. Expect vintage car parades, live music, food fests, and probably more than a few Elvis impersonators. SheBuysTravel Tip: When you want an affordable room for the night, choose a Signature Inn. There are two ways to answer this question: from the perspective of America's political leaders and from the perspective of its people. While the message from the White House is that not all visitors are welcome here, the destinations that were represented at IPW in Chicago in June 2025 made it clear that they welcome everyone, regardless of color or creed. And, of course, the people of America are warm and wonderful. Take, for example, the Mexican man in Chicago's heavily Hispanic Little Village neighborhood. He spoke little English, but when an Australian writer needed a ride to catch her bus, he stepped up. And, when he realized she had left her hat in his car, he again went out of his way to return it to her. That's Midwest nice and a warm American welcome. The post In 2026, the Party's in the USA. Here's Where to Celebrate appeared first on She Buys Travel. Copyright © 2025 SheBuysTravel · All Rights Reserved
Epoch Times
4 hours ago
- Epoch Times
‘Sargent and Paris' at the Met
John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was the most lauded portraitist of his day. At the height of his career, he painted the crème de la crème of society: Gilded Age titans of industry, American dollar princesses, and aristocratic Edwardian beauties. The foundations of his artistic practice can be traced to his time in Paris, where he arrived in 1874 at age 18 and stayed for a decade. He drew inspiration from his teacher, contemporary painters, a varied social circle of creatives and patrons, and art history. 'Sargent and Paris,' a special exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on view through Aug. 3, 2025, explores this productive, essential period of his work. The show culminates in a presentation of Sargent's pivotal painting 'Madame X,' but the exhibition's ingenuity is that it places the artwork in the context of his rich, early Parisian portraits. Training in Paris
