Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman Tells Cinemas to 'Get Off the Ad Crack' at CinemaCon 2026

Key Takeaways

• Tom Rothman called out cinema operators for excessive pre-show advertising
• He claims moviegoers intentionally arrive 30 minutes late to avoid trailers
• Sony revealed upcoming projects including Legend of Zelda and Helldivers movies
• The comments were made at CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas

Look, we've all been there. You buy your ticket for a 7:00 PM showing, grab your overpriced popcorn, find your seat, and then... you sit through what feels like an eternity of trailers, car commercials, and those weird theater chain promos nobody asked for. By the time the actual movie starts, it's practically 7:30.

Turns out, the chairman of Sony Pictures is just as annoyed as you are.

Rothman's Blunt Message to Theater Operators

At CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas, Tom Rothman delivered what might be the most refreshingly honest take from a studio executive in years. The Motion Picture Group CEO didn't mince words when addressing cinema operators about their advertising habits.

“Get off the ad crack.”

— Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Motion Picture Group

Yeah, he really said that. And honestly? It's about time someone with actual power in Hollywood called this out.

Rothman went further, urging theaters to "get rid of the endless advertising and substantially shorten the long pre-shows." His reasoning is pretty simple: audiences have already figured out the game.

Here's the thing. Theater chains make good money from those pre-show ad slots. Car manufacturers, streaming services, and phone companies pay premium rates to get their commercials in front of a captive audience. But Rothman's argument is that this short-term revenue grab is actually hurting the moviegoing experience. People don't even see the trailers anymore because they're timing their arrival to miss everything.

The Pre-Show Problem Is Real

If you've been to a movie theater in the past decade, you know exactly what Rothman's talking about. The pre-show bloat has gotten ridiculous. Some theaters start showing content a full 20-25 minutes before the listed showtime, with actual trailers running another 15-20 minutes after that.

• Pre-show slideshows with trivia and local ads starting 20+ minutes early
• Theater chain promotional content (loyalty programs, concession deals)
• National advertising (cars, phones, streaming services)
• Movie trailers, which used to be the only pre-show content
• Sometimes even more ads squeezed between trailers

The result? A "7:00 PM" movie might not actually start until 7:35 or later. And audiences have adapted. They've learned that showing up on time means sitting through a commercial block that would make cable TV blush.

Rothman's point is that this defeats the whole purpose. Trailers are supposed to build excitement for upcoming films. They're marketing for the studios. But if nobody's in their seats to see them, what's the point?

Sony's Big CinemaCon 2026 Showcase

The comments came during Sony Pictures' annual presentation at CinemaCon, where the studio showed off its upcoming slate. And man, they've got some heavy hitters in the pipeline.

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the next live-action Spider-Man film
• Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the highly anticipated sequel arriving June 2027
• The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo's first live-action adaptation of the beloved game series
• A Helldivers movie starring Jason Momoa, based on the hit PlayStation game

That Zelda movie is particularly interesting. Nintendo's been notoriously protective of its properties after the, uh, interesting Mario movie from the '90s. The fact that they're letting Sony take a crack at Link's adventures says a lot about how much the relationship between game companies and Hollywood has evolved.

Will Theaters Actually Listen?

Here's where I get a little skeptical. Rothman's absolutely right about the problem. But theater chains are in a tough spot financially. After the pandemic gutted attendance, streaming ate into their audience, and operating costs kept climbing, those pre-show ad dollars look pretty essential.

The big chains like AMC, Regal, and Cinemark have spent years building out their advertising infrastructure. They've got contracts with ad networks. They've got sales teams dedicated to filling those slots. Walking away from that revenue isn't a decision made overnight.

But Rothman's framing this as a long-term survival issue. If the moviegoing experience keeps getting worse, people will just wait for streaming. Why deal with 30 minutes of ads when you can watch at home with no commercials and a pause button?

The Bigger Picture for Cinema

This isn't just about ads. It's about whether theaters can compete with living rooms that have 65-inch TVs and surround sound systems. The theatrical experience has to offer something you can't get at home. And right now, a big chunk of that experience is sitting through content you actively want to avoid.

Some premium formats like IMAX and Dolby Cinema have started trimming pre-shows, recognizing that their audiences are paying extra for a better experience. But standard screenings? Still packed with ads.

Rothman's basically telling theater operators: you're killing the golden goose. Every time someone has a bad experience at the movies, that's another person who might not come back.

What Happens Next

Don't expect overnight changes. CinemaCon is where studios and theaters talk business, and Rothman's comments will definitely be part of those conversations. But actual policy shifts take time.

The most likely outcome? Premium screenings might trim their pre-shows first, using it as a selling point. "See movies the way they're meant to be seen, with fewer ads." If that works and drives attendance to higher-priced tickets, standard screenings might follow.

Or theaters could ignore him entirely and keep cashing those advertising checks until audiences completely give up on theatrical releases. That's possible too.

For now, the best advice remains what moviegoers have already figured out: show up late. Your 7:00 movie doesn't really start until 7:30 anyway. Thanks for the confirmation, Tom.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Tom Rothman say at CinemaCon 2026?

The Sony Pictures CEO told theater operators to 'get off the ad crack' and reduce the amount of pre-show advertising and trailers before movies.

When is Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse coming out?

The sequel is scheduled for release on June 18, 2027.

Is there really a Legend of Zelda movie coming?

Yes, Sony Pictures is working on a live-action adaptation of Nintendo's Legend of Zelda game series.

Who's starring in the Helldivers movie?

Jason Momoa has been attached to star in Sony's live-action Helldivers adaptation.

Source: IGN All