UPDATED 3/11, 11:19 a.m. ET: A new longread from the folks over at Vulture provides a more expansive picture of how this new chapter of MoviePass is shaping up, complete with comments from co-founder Stacy Spikes.
In the piece, Spikes took issue with those criticizing the use of facial recognition tech as “dystopian,” arguing that all of us are actually “already in dystopia.” As far as pricing, nothing new was unveiled aside from a confirmation that users can expect a range of tiered options, with Spikes noting the company doesn’t want any such range to include a tie “above, say, 30 [dollars].”
Spikes also said MoviePass is aiming for potential deals with theater partners who aren’t part of the major three chains that previously worked with the company.
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MoviePass, the subscription service that abruptly came to an end in 2019, is planning to relaunch this summer with eye-tracking ads and a virtual credit system.
Per the Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, MoviePass co-founder Stacy Spikes laid out the recently revived company’s plans during a “MoviePass 2.0” presentation in New York City on Thursday. Spikes, who was outed from the company in 2018 before regaining ownership last year, did not reveal much in the way of pricing but he did explain how the app would utilize technology to make sure users pay attention to ads.
Spikes called the feature PreShow, playing ads from within the app. “What’s cool about this, is that your phone, your device, uses your own facial detection,” he said. “If I’m looking at it, it’s playing back, but if I stopped, and I’m not paying attention to it, it actually pauses the content.” He said if people watch the ads, they will be given credits to toward cinema tickets. Spikes described this as a “transaction between you and the brand,” which will give users “virtual currency” for their “digital wallet.”
The co-founder confirmed there will be multiple pricing tiers upon relaunch, as well as the opportunity to bring friends along along.
During the same event, Spikes lamented that some have suggested the theater experience is dying because of the impact of COVID-19. “It bugs me to hear people talk about the end of the movie industry,” he continued. “What are you talking about? It’s the greatest thing on earth.”
The relaunch of the app isn’t ready yet, but Spikes shared screenshots of the beta and offered a one-year subscription for free to those in attendance. MoviePass famously went into bankruptcy after charging only $9.95 a month for unlimited movie tickets, then frequently changing its model.
“We’re going to make mistakes,” Spikes told the crowd. “We’re not going to get it right out of the box. It’s going to be trial and error. But if you guys can help us build a marketplace, we really think we can take this places.”
Watch the full “MoviePass 2.0” event above.
