For one day only, thousands of theaters will be dropping their movie ticket prices for National Cinema Day, including dozens in San Diego County.
On Saturday, Sept. 3, moviegoers across America can see a movie for only $3, regardless of the movie, showtime or format. There will also be exclusive trailers and sneak peeks shown in theaters on Sept. 3, according to The Cinema Foundation, a non-profit arm of the National Association of Theater Owners.
Whether you’re a cinephile or just looking for a night out of the house, we've created a map of participating theaters in San Diego County, so you can find the closest theater to you.
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Here's a list of theaters in San Diego County participating in the $3 Movies National Cinema Day celebration:
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- AMC Chula Vista 10
- AMC DINE-IN Poway 10
- AMC Fashion Valley 18
- AMC La Jolla 12
- AMC Mission Valley
- AMC Otay Ranch 12
- AMC Palm Promenade
- AMC Plaza Bonita 14
- AMC UTC 14
- Cinepolis Del Mar
- Cinepolis La Costa Town Square
- Cinepolis La Costa Paseo Real
- Cinepolis Vista
- Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas
- Regal Edwards Mira Mesa IMAX & RPX
- Regal Parkway Plaza
- Regal Edwards Rancho San Diego
- Regal Rancho Del Rey
- Regal Cinemas Escondido Stadium 16 IMAX
- Regal Edwards San Marcos
- Regal Oceanside
- Regal Carlsbad
- River Village Cinema Is D’place
- UltraStar Mission Valley at Hazard Center
For more information on National Cinema Day and participating theaters visit their website here.
Labor Day weekend is traditionally one of the slowest weekends in theaters. This year, the August lull has been especially acute for exhibitors. Cineworld, which owns Regal Cinemas, cited the scant supply of major new releases in its recent plans to fill for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
But, if successful, National Cinema Day could flood theaters with moviegoers and potentially prompt them to return in the fall. Before each showing, ticket buyers will be shown a sizzle reel of upcoming films from A24, Amazon Studios, Disney, Focus Features, Lionsgate, Neon, Paramount, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony, United Artists Releasing, Universal, and Warner Bros.
"After this summer’s record-breaking return to cinemas, we wanted to do something to celebrate moviegoing,” said Jackie Brenneman, Cinema Foundation president, in a statement. “We’re doing it by offering a ‘thank you’ to the moviegoers that made this summer happen, and by offering an extra enticement for those who haven’t made it back yet.”
Organizers of National Cinema Day described the event as a trial that could become an annual fixture. While some other countries have experimented with a similar day of cheap movie tickets, the initiative is the first of its kind on such a large scale in the U.S.
