"Sorry everyone, there is a problem with Sony's projectors, so we are unable to show movies in some theaters today." This is the news released by the American theater chain AlamoDrafthouse on social networking sites on New Year's Eve, and stated that it will close five theaters as a result. As of New Year's Day, however, most theaters and most showtimes are back to normal, with a few exceptions.
Sorry everyone! Sony is having problems with its projectors and we are unable to show the movie in some theaters today. We will be closing the following theaters for the remainder of today. If you have a ticket for today, please call the theater to request a refund or use our app to cancel/reschedule your ticket. We apologize for the inconvenience caused!
It's unclear what happened. Spokespeople for Alamo or Sony couldn't be reached because New Year's Day is a holiday, and not every theater or every showing is affected.
But that didn't stop Alamo from blaming Sony projectors for what it called a "nationwide" failure in at least one theater.
"Due to a nationwide technical issue at Sony, we will not be able to play any movies today," read a tape sign hanging in a theater in Woodbury, Minnesota.
However, this apparently didn’t stop the customer who took the photo from watching The Apartment in the same location:
"As we were seated, the waiter told us that although the trailer was playing, we wouldn't know if we would see the movie until it actually started. If not, the screen would go black. Luckily, the movie played without a hitch."
Here is the latest guidance from Alamo on January 1:
Most screenings in the following affected theaters have returned to normal today! We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding. Please check the email you used to purchase your tickets and our team will contact you directly if your screening is affected.
Showings of the following films are being rescheduled and may continue to be canceled due to these complications. If you have tickets to these movies, check your email:
What is the reason that only some screenings in some theaters are affected? There is speculation on Reddit that this may be related to expired digital certificates used to unlock encrypted videos.
Sony will reportedly exit the digital cinema projector business in 2020; all of the company's current models are listed as discontinued.