MoviePass Website Launches Mysterious Countdown

The downward spiral of MoviePass was very swift and very public. The company started as a great way for movie lovers to afford seeing as many films in theaters as they possibly could. When the company was purchased by a bigger entity and made more affordable, its popularity skyrocketed, but MoviePass couldn't sustain that business model. Changes started taking place, new rules would be added without warning, and the entire operation shuttered in late 2019. Now, a year and a half later, it appears as though MoviePass might be looking at a comeback.

After more than a year of radio silence, the MoviePass website suddenly launched a countdown this week. The website simply reads "The movie is about to start," along with a clock that is set to run out on Monday, March 22nd. That's all the information there is.

Some kind of news will come out on Monday, and it seems likely that it will have to do with a MoviePass comeback of some sort. How or what that looks like remains to be seen.

It does feel like a strange, but potentially opportune time for MoviePass to mount a new launch. Most movie theaters across the United States are still closed. Yes, New York and Los Angeles are reopening theaters, but the Regal chain still has yet to open any of its locations. Even as these theaters find ways back to life, there isn't a ton of business to be had just yet. That said, there have been signs of life over the last couple of weeks.

What would a MoviePass comeback even look like in 2021? The ultra-affordable model that the company used when it blew up a couple of years ago simply can't be sustained. Maybe MoviePass could revert to its old model, where a subscription costs between $30 and $55 per month, depending on your location. That sounds expensive, but it only takes a handful of movie tickets each month to pay for your subscription, and MoviePass found some real success with that model before it was overhauled.

Regardless of the how, it's clear that MoviePass is banking on there being a desire to return to theaters as people get vaccinated and the industry opens back up.