How to watch movies for as little as $1 this summer

(KTLA/NEXSTAR) – The temperature is rising in much of the United States this week, and a dark, air-conditioned theater beckons as cinemas roll out their summer deals.

The summertime specials could also provide a valuable boost for the major movie theater chains. A May report by analytics company Placer.ai found that foot traffic is still way below pre-pandemic levels.

"Cinemas have yet to reclaim their pre-COVID glory - and during the first few months of 2024, visits to AMC and Regal, and to a lesser extent Cinemark, remained substantially below 2019 levels," Placer.ai wrote in a blog post. "While some of these visit gaps can be attributed to exhibitors downsizing their real-estate portfolios, the rise in at-home entertainment continues to impact pre-pandemic foot-traffic comparisons."

AMC Theaters

AMC Theaters is offering moviegoers a way to beat the heat this summer with the return of its summer movie camp program.

During the program, which runs from June 24 until August 14, customers can see select movies at participating theaters for $3 plus tax. A new title will be shown each week on Mondays and Wednesdays, a news release said.  

The program will be available at more than 250 AMC locations nationwide.

Eight movies from Universal’s Illumination will rotate throughout the program, including recent releases like “Migration” and “Despicable Me 3.” This year’s program is sponsored by Universal’s “Despicable Me 4.”

Here is the full list of movie titles and their release dates:

• June 24/June 26 – “Minions: The Rise of Gru”
• July 1/July 3 – “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
• July 8/July 10 – “Sing”
• July 15/July 17 – “Sing 2”
• July 22/July 24 – “The Secret Life of Pets”
• July 29/July 31 – “Migration”
• Aug. 5/Aug. 7 – “Despicable Me 2”
• Aug. 12/Aug.14 – “Despicable Me 3”

Spanish dub versions of the titles will be available at 30 select locations nationwide with showing happening on Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

More information, including ticket purchasing options, can be found here.

For those who want to see new movies at a discounted price, AMC also offers deals on Tuesdays. for its members.

Cinemark

Tickets are currently on sale for Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse deal with showings between June 10 and Aug. 15.

Select movies are priced at just $1.75, with $1 off deals on snack packs for kids, popcorn and drinks during showtimes.

Cinemark encourages viewers to check with their local theater for more information about Summer Movie Clubhouse.

The company also has another promotion for adults similar to that of AMC – Discount Tuesdays. Prices vary by location.

See the lineup of Summer Movie Clubhouse showings below:

• June 10 to 13 – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem“
• June 17 to 20 – “Sonic the Hedgehog 2“
• June 24 to 27 – “Shrek“
• July 1 to 4 – “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie“
• July 8 to 11 – “The LEGO Movie“
• July 15 to 18 – “Trolls Band Together“
• July 22 to 25 – “How to Train Your Dragon“
• July 29 to Aug. 1 – “Migration“
• Aug. 5 to 8 – “Hotel Transylvania“
• Aug. 12 to 15 – “Paddington 2“
  

Regal Cinemas

For just $1 a ticket, you can take your family to the movies as part of Regal's Summer Movie Express.

The summer break discount applies to select movies showing each week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Like the other theater chains, the summer showtimes come with discounted food and drink: the $5 Snack Pack comes with a junior-sized drink, snack-sized popcorn and fruit snacks, with an optional Dippin' Dots add-on for $3.

Showtimes, which run from June 11 to August 7 at participating locations, include the following:

• June 11 - 12: "Peter Rabbit" and "The Runaway Puss in Boots: The Last Wish"
• June 18 - 19: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" and "Angry Birds 2"
• June 25 - 26: "Despicable Me 3" and "Migration"
• July 2 - 3: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and "PAW Patrol: The Movie"
• July 9 - 10: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and "PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie"
• July 16 - 17: "Clifford the Big Red Dog" and "Sonic the Hedgehog"
• July 23 - 24: "Trolls Band Together" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"
• July 30 - 31: "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" and "Kung Fu Panda 3"
• Aug. 6 - 7: "Minions: The Rise of Gru" and "Sing 2"

For more information, see the Regal Summer Movie Express 2024 page.