It’s that time of year again where we eye up the movies that’ll make up our summer season, visit venues all over the UK, fill out endless licence applications to run events and begin to plan all the logistics, marketing and (let’s be honest) other boring stuff that allows us to take the alfresco bus on the road. The exciting bit? Getting to roll up at lovely locations and entertain our very lovely customers. We never forget how lucky we are!
So we’re currently looking at film ideas for the coming months, and it’s been made all the more tricky thanks to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. Where once there were loads of new releases to consider, the film industry has struggled like any other, so there are only so many fresh titles that might work outdoors. We’ve loved some of the movies released over the past year or so, but only a certain type of story lends itself to the open-air experience, and we’re planning to screen a handful of those that we think will do the business in an alfresco setting.
There are of course the classics too; lots of great films from the past 40 years or so that always entertain, always delight and always pull a crowd. This is why the likes of Grease, Mamma Mia, Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman and The Greatest Showman will generally feature in the diary of most outdoor cinemas. They’re always a joy to screen, and our audiences always love them.
We’re also huge fans of certain directors, film titles and genres, so you can expect to see plenty of Steven Spielberg, a few slices of 80s adventure and some action-packed British comedy in the line-up.
A few shows are already on sale, with a whole host more imminent at some of the venues we’ve been visiting for a few years, and a few new locations too. Watch. This. Space.