Milwaukee, June 14, 2023…The summer movie season is off to a scorching start with high-performing debuts by "The Little Mermaid" and the superhero sequel "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,"— and it shows no signs of cooling down. With the heart of summer blockbuster season upon us, Marcus Theatres^® surveyed more than 1200 of its Magical Movie Rewards℠ members in 17 states to find out what summer movies made their must-see list. Survey respondents were from Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Theatre Experience Provides Movie Fans More Enjoyment
Ninety-nine percent of surveyed moviegoers plan to head to the theatre between May 19 and September 4 to see adventure on the big screen. Only 11% of those surveyed see movies  on opening weekend, but they split on whether to see the film during the first week or first month of release, with the first week just barely pulling off the win 45 to 44 percent.

Why are moviegoers so excited to return to the theatrical experience? Over half of those surveyed listed being able to put their smartphones down for a distraction-free experience in their top five reasons to head to the theatre, while more than 75% listed parts of the Marcus experience, including DreamLounger℠ recliner seating, the large crystal clear picture, and cinematic surround sound as their top three reasons.

"Just like consumers, we're excited for an action-packed summer of movies," said Mark Gramz, president of Marcus Theatres. "There's nothing quite like experiencing those thrilling car chases, stand-offs, and explosive scenes on a SuperScreen DLX^® or in UltraScreen DLX^® auditoriums complete with massive screens and Dolby^® Atmos^® multidimensional sound. Not to mention, programs like Marcus Theatres' Magical Movie Rewards and Value Tuesdays make multiple trips to the movies fun and affordable!"

Top 10 Must See Movies This Summer
While Indiana Jones grabbed the top spot, participants also selected family films, action adventures, and even a new biopic as what they're most looking forward to seeing this summer:

1. "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" (June 30)
2. "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" ( July 12)
3. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" (In Theatres Now)
4. “Oppenheimer" (July 21)
5. "The Flash" (June 16)
6. "The Little Mermaid" (In Theatres Now)
7. "Fast X" – In Theatres Now
8. "Barbie" (July 21)
9. "Haunted Mansion" (July 28)
10. "Blue Beetle" (August 18)

Though male and female respondents agreed on putting Indiana Jones at No. 1, they differed on what else they were most looking forward to seeing. Disney’s "The Little Mermaid" took the No. 2 spot with women, who rounded out their top five with “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One," "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," and "Oppenheimer." In comparison, men preferred Ethan Hunt to Ariel and prioritized seeing "Oppenheimer" and "The Flash" as their third and fourth, before ranking "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" fifth.

Favorite Summer Movie Treats
Forty-nine percent of survey participants felt that tasty concessions, food, and beverage offerings were a reason to head to the theatre, so we asked them to list their favorite summer movie treats. While it's no surprise that popcorn and soda took the top two slots, candy dropped into fifth place behind hot snacks (nachos, pretzel bites, and hot dogs) and full meal experiences  (salads, burgers, or pizza).

Visit MarcusTheatres.com or the Marcus Theatres and Movie Taverns app for locations, showtimes, and tickets to this summer's must-see films and to skip the snack line when you pre-order your favorite movie treat.

About Marcus Theatres

Marcus Theatres^®, a division of The Marcus Corporation, is the fourth largest theatre circuit in the United States and currently owns or operates 1,027 screens at 82 locations in 17 states under the Marcus Theatres, Movie Tavern® by Marcus and BistroPlex® brands. For more information, please visit www.marcustheatres.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter (@Marcus_Theatres).

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