Regal Cinemas, the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) and France’s CNC are launching a “Future of Distribution” pilot aimed at testing whether underused cinema capacity can be filled through more flexible programming. The initiative was among a series of projects announced during the Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France.
Under the pilot, participating Regal cinemas will make a portion of otherwise underused screens and showtimes available to an independent programmer whose mandate will be to increase attendance. That programmer will be able to select from a broad range of content, including wide releases, independent films, documentaries, repertory titles and special events. Existing theatrical windows and release dates are to remain intact, participation will be voluntary, and performance data will be shared among participants.
The premise is intriguing. According to the initiative, North American cinema attendance fell to roughly 770 million admissions in 2025, about 37% below 2019, while the number of screens remained relatively stable and average auditorium occupancy ranged from just 11% to 15%. The pilot will test whether some of that unused capacity can generate incremental admissions through different programming rather than simply waiting for additional wide releases.
Like a number of initiatives unveiled at the Lumière Summit, however, considerably more has been said about the ambition than the execution. The announcement does not identify participating Regal locations or markets, the independent programmer, how titles will be booked or promoted, or precisely how incremental attendance will be measured. The pilot is expected to begin in selected markets in late 2026, with initial results released in mid-2027. That makes this an experiment worth watching rather than a model ready to be judged. If it demonstrates that programming can meaningfully improve utilization of otherwise empty screens and showtimes, the implications could extend well beyond Regal.
