The Revived Moviepass Has Opened Its Beta, New Pricing And Plan Details Revealed

UPDATE: According to an interview conducted with Business Insider, Moviepass is looking to launch this summer for all users.

For a certain breed of movie lover, Moviepass was, for a time, a true blessing — before it became something of a curse. The movie theater subscription service rocked the industry by introducing the concept of unlimited moviegoing for a monthly fee (a rather low fee at that) to the general public. But, as we discovered, that business model had major issues, primarily that it was wildly un-profitable, and Moviepass came crashing to the ground several years ago. Well, much like Palpatine in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," somehow, Moviepass has returned. The company has opened up its beta, letting many new users sign up for the revamped version of the service.

A special announcement for everyone on the MoviePass waitlist from our CEO @stacyspikes pic.twitter.com/BmfHk6IS60

— MoviePass (@MoviePass) January 25, 2023

It was announced early last year that Moviepass would be coming back, and now CEO Stacy Spikes has revealed that everyone who previously signed up for the beta can now actually try out the service in its new, presumably more sensible version. But what does that look like? What is it going to cost? How is it going to work? The company's website does state, "Since we're still BETA testing, our waitlist users are testing different pricing plans in various cities. Plans and pricing will normalize when we open to the general public." 

Let's dig into what the new Moviepass looks like for its beta users.

Instead of a one-cost-fits-all approach, Moviepass will now offer a tiered pricing plan that utilizes a credit-based system. However, it will still be available nationwide for any 2D screening of any movie. The site notes that access to "large format & premium screens is coming soon." There are four plans: Basic, Standard, Premium, and Pro. While these costs may vary during the beta phase, for my account, they cost $10, $20, $30, and $40, respectively, per month. The number of movies one can see per month with each plan varies wildly, with the Basic plan including one to three movies per month, while the Pro plan includes as many as one per day.

It's all based on the number of credits one gets with their subscription each month. The Basic plan comes with 34 credits per month in the beta, for example, while the premium plan comes with 113. The number of credits it costs to see a movie varies depending on location, showtime, and other factors. So the number of credits it costs to see something like "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" on opening weekend in a big city versus seeing "80 for Brady" on a weekday in the midwest will, undoubtedly, be wildly different.

The good news is that unused credits will roll over each month, and can accumulate to double the monthly allotted amount. So, under the Basic plan, you would be allowed to accumulate as many as 68 credits at one time with the rollover. So, unused credits do not go to waste. On the surface, this seems like a flexible plan with more options to suit different sorts of moviegoers.

The Moviepass folks put together a handy video to demonstrate how to actually use the service once you sign up. In short, you won't be able to actually purchase a ticket to your preferred showing until you're actually at the theater. Once there, you will either use the digital card in the app, or your physical card (which some theaters will require) to "pay" for the ticket. Once you've arrived at the movie theater, open your Moviepass app. Then, select your theater, movie, and showtime to check-in to your movie. Once you press "check-in," users can go to any kiosk to purchase the movie ticket with the Moviepass card.

There will be some extra steps here compared to actually buying a ticket the old fashioned way. This, however, should be nothing new to those who used the old service. The biggest downside here is that buying tickets in advance is not an option. So, for a big blockbuster on opening weekend? It could be challenging to slip in at the last minute. It is not hard to see the limitations of that method of payment.

The other big consideration here is that many theater chains, such as AMC, Regal, and the Alamo Drafthouse, have rolled out their own monthly subscription services. While those services are limited to one theater, Moviepass is no longer the only game in town. So it will be interesting to see if the company can overcome its tarnished image and compete with the theater chains who will surely be prioritizing their own services.

Moviepass does not yet have an exact rollout date for the general public but we will be following this story closely for updates.