MoviePass will still offer a $10 per month option as part of its relaunch -- but subscribers won't be able to see a movie every day without paying a lot more.
MoviePass recently opened up its beta for movie subscriptions and revealed the platform's new pricing plans. There are four different tiers for users to choose from: Basic, Standard, Premium, and Pro. Their respective prices are $10, $20, $30, and $40 per month. The new system is based on credits and limits how many movies users can see monthly, depending on their plan. Basic subscribers can watch one to three movies per month with their allowance of credits, while Pro subscribers will be able to watch up to one movie every day. Every movie has a price in credits depending on various factors including time, location, and even how popular the film is. Credits roll over into the next month but cannot exceed more than double the monthly allowance.
The new system has some other updates -- users can pay for any guests coming with them, and they can also watch advertisements to earn extra credits. One catch with the new system, however, is that subscribers cannot pay for tickets ahead of time. MoviePass holders need to use their physical or digital cards on location in order to claim their seats. Anyone hoping to reserve a ticket for major film releases like Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will not be able to use MoviePass.
The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of MoviePass
The MoviePass subscription service began in 2011 and allowed users to check into movies ahead of time using a prepaid debit card. In 2017, while under new management, the subscription price was lowered to $10 per month. Membership numbers skyrocketed over the following year, but this model proved to be unsustainable for the company.
MoviePass ended its service in 2019 due to financial issues. There was significant demand for the app to return, though, and its revival was announced in 2022. The company updated its policies for the beta with the goal of providing similar services while still being realistically sustainable.
Since this new version of MoviePass is still in beta testing, these prices and policies are subject to change. The app's full return has no official release date, but the beta test is expected to finish in the summer of 2023. Anyone who wishes to try out the new system before then will have to join the waitlist through the MoviePass website. After becoming a member, users will have 10 friend invites they can send to others who want to join. Access to the beta will come in waves up until the official release of the new MoviePass.
Source: YouTube, via Collider