This Saturday, people throughout the U.S. will have the opportunity to catch a movie for only $3. That's because September 3 is "National Cinema Day," and the one-day-only discount will be available at more than 3,000 theaters nationwide.
The country's biggest theater chains—such as Regal Cinemas and AMC—along with hundreds of independent cinemas are participating for what will be a total of more than 30,000 screens showing features at the discounted price. Additionally, the $3 admission is good for every film showing on the day in every format, including IMAX.
Cinema Foundation, a non-profit group started by the National Association of Theater Owners to promote moviegoing, is responsible for the creation of National Cinema Day. The new event falls on Labor Day weekend, which has traditionally been a slow weekend for the movie industry. August was also a quiet month for theaters with few major releases to roll out, though June and July were the two best post-pandemic months at the box office yet.
To find the nearest theater near you that's participating in the special discounted event, simply go to National Cinema Day's website. There, you can click on movie options to find where the film you're looking to see is playing for $3. If you don't have a specific movie in mind, you can also search for participating theaters by city or ZIP code.
Theaters will be offering viewers a few new releases this weekend that will be headlined by Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, a comedy starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown. Some recent major blockbusters are getting rereleased as well, including Spider-Man: No Way Home and an extended version of Jurassic World Dominion.
Moviegoers will also have the unique opportunity to see what's been referred to as cinema's first blockbuster in an entirely new way: Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic Jaws returns to many theaters in 3-D and IMAX this weekend.
Of course, holdover hits will still be available, such as Top Gun: Maverick, Thor: Love & Thunder, Minions: The Rise of Gru and Nope.
According to National Cinema Day's website, every movie at participating theaters will cost only $3. It does note that the ticket pricing does not include taxes or online and/or third-party ticketing fees.
Anyone taking advantage of the special should not expect the deals to extend past the ticket booth. Concession stands, where theaters make a good deal of money, will likely still charge standard prices for food and drinks.
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