MoviePass will be making a comeback, but unlike last time, there will be a catch – and a completely new business model, according to multiple reports.
The service is expected to relaunch this summer, according to The Verge. MoviePass shut down in 2019, but is now intended to return with co-creator Stacy Spikes.
The new version is expected to work off of virtual credits that can be earned through the app, according to the reports.
The app will incorporate a platform Spikes created called PreShow, where users can watch ads that will award credits that can be used on free tickets. The catch is, the platform tracks a user’s attention to the screen. If someone looks away, the ad pauses, according to The Verge and Engadget.
“Your phone, your device uses your own facial detection,” Spikes said during a New York City press event Thursday. “It doesn’t go to the cloud, nobody goes through anything other than you and your information in yours. And you opt in to do it on your own.”
Business Insider reported that credits will roll over month-to-month and can be traded to other users.
It’s unclear how much the service will cost and many other details were not disclosed, according to the reports.