By Desa Philadelphia

It has been a banner summer at the movies, led by the blockbuster successes Spider-man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey. Summer 2026 saw record ticket sales of more than 322 million, and a box office bonanza of $4.76 billion in revenue.

It seemed like a good time to talk about the enduring magic of the movie going experience. “With so much happening in the theater business recently, from the rise of AMC A-List and IMAX, to the rebirth of the Fox Village and Cinerama Dome, the nationwide boom of repertory cinemas, and even the Dune popcorn bucket, we felt that it was a perfect time to broaden the scope of your education at SCA with an ongoing series of conversations about the business of exhibition,” Dean Daley told the SCA students in an invitation to the event.

This initiative kicked off on Monday Sept. 28th with Michael O’Leary, President of Cinema United, Thomas Song, CFO of Regal Global Entertainment, and SCA Alumnus Jack Heller, Producer and Chairman of Assemble Cinemas. Dean Daley said the goal of these conversations about distribution is to give students insight into the business of theatrical exhibition, including how the distributors respond to changes in consumer behavior. The overarching goal is for filmmakers to understand this important partnership that connects them to their audiences.

Future conversations will dive into specific aspects of the exhibition ecosystem, from film booking to hospitality to 4DX and more.