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After more than a two decades run as the Boss of trade org the National Association of Theatre Owners, John Fithian is retiring, effective May 1, 2023. Technically, Fithian counts 30 years working for NATO, having begun working with the org as a former attorney at Washington DC’s Patton Boggs, LLC.
NATO’s Executive Board has begun a search process for Fithian’s successor.
Fithian has arguably seen his most pivotal and monumental days during the last two years of the pandemic. Not only has Fithian been a champion for theatrical windows on behalf NATO’s membership which counts over 35K screens stateside and 101 countries worldwide, however, the big screen trade boss and his team have been lynchpins in keeping exhibitors alive during largely a year and a half when they were forced to close down due to Covid from 2020-21. NATO, under Fithian, got exhibition included under the $15 billion congressional Covid-19 Relief (aka “Save Our Stages” initiative) which encompassed small- and medium- sized theaters and venues with 500 employees or less, that had lost at least 25% in revenue. This gave movie theaters access to business loans as well as the Paycheck Protection Program.
As one of the final cherries on his cake, Fithian and team fired up National Cinema Day over Labor Day weekend, with $3 movie tickets, in an effort to drive business to movie theaters over a slow time sans big films. The Saturday of National Cinema Day clocked 8M admission more than the total weekend admissions for Labor Day weekend 2021 when Disney/Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings brought moviegoers back big time from the doldrums of the pandemic. There will be another National Cinema Day down the road.
Also when Sony was dealing with the North Korea hack and the fallout of the James Franco-Seth Rogen comedy The Interview, Fithian and NATO working behind the scenes with security and law enforcement agencies to determine the threat level. NATO finally told its membership that it was OK not to show The Interview and delay it out of safety concerns during the holiday of 2014.
Fithian was always measured in the press, and behind the scenes, a sharp consigliere. While NATO never told its memberships how to run their business, they were there to sound the bullhorn and consult whenever things went wrong, from Universal’s very early day-and-date squashing of the theatrical window with Trolls World Tour to Disney’s day-and-date mishandling of Black Widow in movie theaters and on the Disney+ service. At a revived NATO sponsored CinemaCon this past April, Fithian exclaimed, ““I am pleased to announce that simultaneous release is dead as a serious business model, and piracy is what killed it” to great applause. He also added, “It remains the case that theatrical windows grow our entire industry.”
“It is nearly impossible to sum up a career of three decades in a few sentences,” said Fithian. “I will leave that to others. But my highest goal was always to leave this organization and this industry stronger and more effective than I found it – and more importantly – to ensure that it remains strong and effective after I am gone. The professional and experienced staff I leave behind and the culture of service we have built together is a legacy to be proud of.”
“John’s impact on the movie theater industry is profound and lasting,” said NATO Chairman Rolando Rodriguez. “Whether in Hollywood, Washington, D.C., or internationally, NATO’s reach and effectiveness as an advocate for the movie theater industry has grown and sharpened under John’s leadership. We have big shoes to fill, and we offer John our profoundest thanks for all his years of service.”
Deadline has heard that NATO membership and studio distribution chiefs have already been informed about Fithian’s retirement.