AMC Networks Film Boss: Moviegoers Need a “Reeducation” to Be Lured Back to Theaters:

AMC Networks Film Group head Scott Shooman and his team really took the phrase “dinner and a movie” to heart. When they released The Taste of Things, the Juliette Binoche-starring French-language movie that IFC acquired out of last year’s Cannes Film Festival, the distributor partnered with restaurants like New York’s Frenchette and Los Angeles’ Petit Trois for a special Valentine’s Day screening experience.

“We really made it a reason to get out of the house,” says Shooman of the film, which grossed an impressive $2.6 million at the domestic box office. “[During the pandemic] people figured out how to log into streaming services and have a lot of options at their fingertips. So what’s that decision process that gets someone into a theater now?” The answer for The Taste of Things? Steak frites.

Formerly head of acquisitions at storied specialty distributor IFC, Shooman took over the reins at AMC’s film group in July, with a purview that now includes, in addition to IFC, genre-focused home video stalwart RLJ Entertainment and popular horror streaming service Shudder. He says Shudder looks to release about 30 films a year, both direct to platform and theatrical, while IFC and RLJ have about 20 films a year.

Ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, Shooman talked to The Hollywood Reporter about why he’s excited about the Cannes lineup, how his company adapted to the dual strikes, and the ongoing battle to get moviegoers back into theaters.

View the full interview and article at The Hollywood Reporter.