Giants of Exhibition 2022

Celebrating the Top 50 Cinema Circuits in North America

2021 was a transition year for theatrical exhibition as it embarked on a global recovery effort from the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic. The year began with a gradual reopening of theaters, leading up to the return of cinemas in key markets like Los Angeles and New York in March. By May, studios found enough confidence to commit to a consistent release schedule—reigniting the box office with the release of Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II over Memorial Day weekend.

The recovery came too late for some cinema chains, as evidenced by the Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing of the Pacific/Arclight circuit in June. The company’s demise left a notable void on the U.S.’s West Coast and turned some of the region’s most lucrative locations into acquisition targets of other major chains. Despite the struggles, the industry accomplished new box office benchmarks as capacity restrictions were lifted throughout the summer. A stellar Q3 with titles like Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage and MGM/UA’s No Time to Die set the stage for the first major hit of the pandemic in mid-December: Sony’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. The latest installment in the Spider-Man franchise reinforced the cultural importance of the moviegoing experience—providing a glimpse of the industry’s potential in the months to come.

Rank	Company	Founded	Headquarters	Sites	Screens
1	AMC Entertainment	1920	Leawood, KS	595	7,768
2	Regal	1989	Knoxville, TN	511	6,853
3	Cinemark USA	1984	Plano, TX	324	4,440
4	Cineplex Inc.	2003	Toronto, ON	160	1,652
5	Marcus Theatres Corp.	1935	Milwaukee, WI	85	1,064
6	B & B Theatres	1924	Kansas City, MO	56	513
7	Harkins Theatres	1933	Scottsdale, AZ	33	494
8	Malco Theatres Inc.	1915	Memphis, TN	33	351
9	Emagine Entertainment	1997	Troy, MI	28	342
10	CMX Cinemas	2017	Miami, FL	32	341
11	Landmark Cinemas of Canada	1965	Calgary, AL	40	325
12	Alamo Drafthouse Cinema	1997	Austin, TX	37	301
13	National Amusements (Showcase Cinemas)	1936	Norwood, MA	22	291
14	Caribbean Cinemas	1968	San Juan, PR	32	281
15	Southern Theatres	2003	New Orleans, LA	18	266
16	Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas	2011	Dallas, TX	26	260
17	Georgia Theatre Company	1992	Saint Simons Island, GA	24	253
18	Premiere Cinema Corp.	1993	Big Spring, TX	22	249
19	NCG (Neighborhood Cinemas Group)	1983	Owosso, MI	25	246
20	Reading Cinemas USA	2000	New York, NY	24	238
21	Studio Movie Grill	2000	Dallas, TX	21	226
22	Landmark Theatres	1974	West Hollywood, CA	38	216
23	UEC Theatres	1993	Maple Grove, MN	22	191
24	GQT Movies	2020	Grand Rapids, MI	24	189
25	Galaxy Theatres, LLC	1998	Sherman Oaks, CA	16	183
26	Cinema West	1984	Petaluma, CA	17	174
27	Larry H. Miller Theatres (Megaplex Theatres)	1999	Sandy, UT	15	173
28	Regency Theatres, Inc.	1996	Agoura Hills, CA	25	172
29	MJR Theatres	1980	Bloomfield Hills, MI	10	164
30	Marquee Cinemas, Inc.	1979	Beckley, WV	15	162
31	Phoenix Theatres	2001	Knoxville, TN	14	155
32	Cinema Entertainment Corp.	1964	Waite Park, MN	19	154
33	Celebration Cinema By Studio C	1944	Grand Rapids, MI	11	149
34	EVO Entertainment	2014	Austin, TX	16	148
35	Cinémas Guzzo	2003	Terrebonne, QC	10	145
36	Epic Theatres	2003	Deltona, FL	12	144
37	Coming Attractions Theatres, Inc.	1985	Ashland, OR	18	142
38	Santikos Entertainment	1948	San Antonio, TX	11	136
39	Flagship Premium Cinemas	1995	Cambridge, MA	18	131
39	Classic Cinemas	1978	Downers Grove, IL	15	131
41	Bow Tie Cinemas	1900	Ridgefield, CT	15	128
42	Look Brands, LLC	2021	Dallas, TX	8	127
42	Apple Cinemas	2013	Walpole, MA	12	127
44	R/C Theatres	1932	Reisterstown, MD	13	119
45	Allen Theatres	1912	Las Cruces, NM	16	112
46	Mitchell Theatres	2005	Elkhart, KS	15	107
47	IPIC Theaters	2007	Boca Raton, FL	13	102
48	R.L. Fridley Theatres	1972	Des Moines, IA	18	97
49	Metropolitan Theatres Corp.	1923	Los Angeles, CA	17	94
50	Xscape Theatres	2013	New Albany, IN	7	94