The National Association of Theater Owners is the largest exhibition trade organization in the world, representing over 30,000 movie screens across the U.S. and additional cinemas in fifty countries worldwide. The organization is pushing for new marketing rules, which include limiting the length of movie trailers to two minutes.
Voluntary marketing guidelines currently restrict trailers to 2.5 minutes, with studios allowed one exception per year (for example, the three-minute trailer for this summer’s blockbuster Man of Steel).
Theater owners have heard many complaints from the public that trailers are too long and give away too much of the plot. Some play up to eight trailers, which could mean having to sit through twenty minutes of trailers plus in-house advertising before the film starts.
Exhibitors believe the limit could help boost ticket sales but Hollywood studios didn’t react well when briefed on the plan. Other marketing rules being considered include restricting movie marketing to the four months before release and requiring a film’s release date on all marketing materials.
Originally published May 30, 2013. Updated April 14, 2018.
