Gowanda Small Town Times

Back when the Gowanda Hollywood Theater’s coming events page began filling up with concerts and other attractions for 2023, there were complaints on Facebook about not having movies. Since then, a trio of movies have been scheduled for the near future to judge public support for movies..

One of the issues that has plagued the theater in the past with movies has been low attendance. Licensing fees can run anywhere from $300 to over $1,000 per showing. This has been a factor in preventing the theater from showing first-run films at the higher end of that spectrum and as well as making attendance a key consideration for the lower cost screenings.

Leading off the current movie offerings on March 31 is “Top Gun Maverick”. The PG-13 film from 2022 features Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly and Val Kilmer. Set 30 years after the original “Top Gun” movie, Maverick returns to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program to train some new pilots, including the son of one of his best friends.

The next day, April 1, it will be the children’s movie, “Frozen 2”. Rated PG, Elsa’a story continues with a journey into the enchanted forest as more of the Frozen story is revealed. Once again, the voices of Kristen Bell (Anna) and Idina Menzel (Elsa) are featured.

The final movie in the current series brings George Clooney and Julia Roberts to the Gowanda screen in “Ticket to Paradise”. Released in Fall 2022, this is another PG-13 offering. The story revolves around two bickering divorced parents whose daughter, vacationing in Bali, has announced plans to marry one of the locals. The parents fly off to the tropical paradise intent on preventing their daughter from making a “mistake” similar to theirs.

Gowanda’s Honk’s Grape & Grain has stepped up to sponsor the upcoming movie series. The Hollywood Theater is looking for the community to show their interest in movies at the theater by attending. The frequency and type(s) of movies that might be shown going forward will be made with reference to the way these are received by the public.

Times and additional information on these and other upcoming Hollywood Theater offerings can be found online at https://www.gowandahollywoodtheater.com/upcoming