Since its founding in 2011, Letterboxd has carved out a niche as a social platform for cinephiles. Now it wants to use that platform to get people off their computers and back to movie theaters.
The film discussion and review platform is adding showtimes for paid members in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand, letting users see where the movies they are reading about are playing near them. The feature will roll out on Christmas Eve.
“Showtimes have long been on our radar as something we’d like to offer to our members—another way of making Letterboxd the one place they come when selecting what to watch next. We de-prioritized the feature somewhat over Covid, as seeing films in theaters was not top of mind!” says Letterboxd co-founder Matthew Buchanan. “Now that audiences are returning to cinemas, it felt like the right time to add this capability.”
Letterboxd is working with the aggregator Assemble on the feature, indexing about 9,000 screens in the U.S., including through Regal Cinemas. Theaters that are not included in Assemble will be able to submit their own showtimes to the aggregator.
“We’re aware of a few aggregators of showtimes data, but often they exist in individual territories,” Buchanan adds. “Our decision to use Assemble was partially based on its ability to cover four of our six or seven most significant markets right from the start. Noting that this is just step one — via the individual screen for each film. We’d like to add filtering and notifications on top of this, in future.”
The company notes that its paid members go to the movies far more frequently than the average consumer. It says “87% of Letterboxd’s paid members go to the movies at least once a month, with 39% of that same group visiting the cinemas three or more times per month.” Adding showtimes will only make it easier for them to see movies that interest them.
The company “is already linking through to ticketing sites to purchase tickets and we are working with our partner to extend those capabilities,” Buchanan says. “However, our endgame is not focused on selling tickets directly, as we’ll likely always have a third party in the mix as the exhibitor.”
“As long-time fans and part of the Letterboxd community, Regal is proud to see them putting the theatrical experience even more directly into the hands of cinema’s strongest advocates,” adds Drew Justice, loyalty promotions manager at Regal Cinemas. “Being able to read or write reviews and instantly find nearby theaters is a luxury Regal and Letterboxd movie fans deserve.”
“Like all our art house friends, we exist to help cinema lovers discover great films and see them in the best formats possible,” added Ned Hinkle, creative director at The Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA. “Letterboxd is really important to us. It fits perfectly into The Brattle ecosystem of discovery, so having showtimes right there on a film’s Letterboxd page is huge for us.”
Letterboxd has become a favorite of film aficionados and even filmmakers themselves like Martin Scorsese and Christopher McQuarrie. The platform is built around reviews, recommendations and discussion, and users can also track what they have watched.
The company sold a majority stake to the Canadian investment firm Tiny in September, with plans to expand into new areas, including TV.
Letterboxd will promote it through its newsletter and video series, including a new video where actors and filmmakers discuss their favorite places to sit in their local cinemas.
Watch it below.
