By Rebecca Rubin
Senior Film and Media Reporter
AMC Theatres, the world’s largest cinema chain, is leaning into distribution.
The company is expanding its distribution team with a key hire and promotion, underscoring its commitment to releasing its own movies in addition to showcasing titles from traditional and independent studios. AMC Theatres launched its distribution team with the premieres of last year’s concert films, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.”
Stephanie Terifay has joined AMC in the newly created position of VP of Distribution. She will begin on April 26. In this role, Terifay is responsible for engaging the music industry to develop future projects, tailoring distribution strategies and marketing plans to maximize fan engagement. In other words, Swift and Beyonce’s stadium tours were the first but won’t be the last to grace the big screen — if AMC can help it.
Terifay joins AMC from Fandango, where she led the integrated marketing team, and worked closely with Hollywood studios, independent content distributors, theatrical exhibitors and brand partners to drive consumer awareness and ticket sales. Prior to Fandango, she led partner marketing for Sundance Institute, Film Independent, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Los Angeles Clippers and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
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AMC is bolstering the team by promoting Kevin Arnold to VP of programming promotions and partnerships, effective immediately. Arnold, who joined AMC in 2011, has risen through the ranks in the film programming department. Now, he will oversees promotional strategies that aim to drive moviegoer engagement and increase ticket sales.
“The remarkable success of AMC Theatres Distribution last fall opened an exciting new business for AMC, and we are thrilled to have Stephanie Terifay’s expertise and enthusiasm build upon the brilliant leadership of Nikkole Denson-Randolph,” said Elizabeth Frank, AMC’s chief content officer. “Through the addition of Stephanie and the much-deserved elevation of Kevin Arnold, AMC Theatres Distribution is well positioned to continue to deliver exciting and compelling content to moviegoers at AMC and across the industry domestically and internationally.”
“The Eras Tour” generated $261 million globally and stands as the highest-grossing concert film of all time. “Renaissance” didn’t earn quite as much with $43 million worldwide, but it was still a financial success against its low budget. Traditional studios, who regularly work with AMC Theatres, haven’t been thrilled about the chain’s foray into distribution and belive the exhibitor is encouraging on their territory.
AMC seems to be heeding the advice of its unofficial box office queen: “Shake it off.”
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