It's been about a year and a half since the world received the heartbreaking news that movie theater subscription service MoviePass would officially be no more. At the time of the formal shutdown date in September 2019, the company then told subscribers there was no way "to predict if or when the MoviePass service will continue." Now, the appearance of a mysterious new website with a simple countdown clock could indicate a rebirth for MoviePass.
A domain for "moviepass.ventures" has suddenly debuted on the internet without any fanfare or social media promotion (the MoviePass Twitter account hasn't been active since 2019), and currently appears to be independent of the former MoviePass website, moviepass.com, which still hosts the company's press statement regarding their recent shutdown. The only information on "moviepass.ventures" is the aforementioned countdown clock, which indicates a certain amount of time left before "the movie is about to start."
When reached for comment by Variety, former MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe seemed to have as little of an idea as the rest of us about what this could all mean. The former CEO shared via email, "I have no idea. It has nothing to do with me."
MoviePass experienced a tumult of issues prior to its official closure, introducing a slew of changes after competitors like AMC debuted their Stubs A-List program. A customer survey taken in 2018 reported alarming results, showing that most subscribers were ultimately unhappy with their experience, and the company attempted a comeback a year later, enacting a new series of plans intended to be "more humble." Unfortunately, technical issues, such as the app shutting down for long-term maintenance, as well as changing passwords on frequent "power users" to cut back on costs, didn't restore much faith in MoviePass' efforts to turn a new corner, and the company eventually closed down in September 2019.
It's unclear if MoviePass has experienced a change in leadership, or perhaps a different company intends to try and breathe new life back into the once-struggling subscription service. We'll find out one way or another in approximately 5 days, 17 hours and counting.