Long Island's Regal Cinemas offering $1 matinee tickets for kids' movies this summer

You can see the critically acclaimed "The Wild Robot" for... — You can see the critically acclaimed "The Wild Robot" for $1 this summer. Credit: AP

By Rafer Guzmánrafer.guzman@newsday.comUpdated May 22, 2025 6:14 pm

More bargain movies are coming to Long Island this summer thanks to Regal Cinemas, which has announced $1 tickets for matinee screenings of family-friendly previously released movies.

The initiative, called Summer Movie Express, runs June 10 to Aug. 6 and offers $1 tickets to the first showings of family-oriented favorites such as "The Wild Robot" and "Kung-Fu Panda 4” on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Participating theaters include Regal locations in Westbury, Ronkonkoma, Deer Park, Hampton Bays and Farmingdale.

Regal’s program applies to only a limited selection of mostly animated films aimed at young children and released within the past few years. Among the other titles listed on the exhibitor's website are "The Garfield Movie," "Paddington in Peru," the Ryan Reynolds comedy-fantasy "IF," and the musicals "Trolls Band Together" and "Sing 2." Also available at Summer Movie Express screenings will be $5 Snack Packs, which include a "junior-sized drink, snack-sized popcorn and fruit snacks," according to Regal’s website.

Regal ran a similar summer program in 2024. Earlier this month, AMC Theatres announced it would be offering half-off ticket prices on Wednesdays for members of AMC Stubs, the chain’s free loyalty program, beginning July 9. Together, the two programs mean that Long Islanders will have more options than usual for low-priced summer movies. National Amusements, which owns several Showcase Cinemas locations on Long Island, already has promotions in place including Bargain Tuesdays and Senior Wednesdays.

The Regal and AMC initiatives come at a time when the movie industry seems to be rebounding from the pandemic. Box office has reached $2.7 billion so far, up 14% over this time last year, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, and some industry observers predict 2025 will end on a high note. At the same time, America’s ongoing tariff wars have caused widespread concerns that prices will rise and wallets may tighten. Movie tickets on Long Island can run upward of $22, especially for premium format screenings such as RPX or IMAX.