Why Hollywood Needs Black, Latino Audiences More Than Ever

By Evelyn Diaz

Last week, theater chains threw a hissy fit over the announcement of a deal between the Weinstein Company, IMAX Theaters and Netflix to produce a sequel to the 2000 hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and release the film simultaneously on the largest screens available in the world (IMAX) and the smallest (Netflix). Within moments, three of the nation’s biggest theater chains retaliated to the news by saying they would refuse to screen the film in their multiplexes and boycott any similar measures by content creators and digital distributors.

The panic is understandable: studios and theaters have seen their revenues nosedive, with ticket sales reaching an all-time low this past summer. But as they grapple to find ways to sell more tickets and popcorn, are these titans ignoring the only group — urban minorities — whose presence is actually increasing at the multiplex? READ MORE.