Neon to stage 36-hour run of Alex Ullom’s debut film “It Ends” at NYC’s Metro Private Cinema, with cash payouts for long stays

Neon said it will run Alex Ullom’s debut feature “It Ends” for 36 consecutive hours at the Metro Private Cinema in New York City, turning the standard theatrical booking into what the distributor is describing as a timed endurance challenge aligned with the film’s release. The plan calls for continuous showings inside the venue, with viewers able to remain for multiple screenings as the film loops throughout the two-day window.

Deadline reported that the movie’s 87-minute runtime means the screening cycle would amount to roughly 25 showings within the 36-hour period, depending on how the venue times entry and transitions between seats for the next audience members. Neon’s approach is designed around the idea that attendees will not simply watch a single showing, but stay through successive runs.

Neon said the event will include cash payments that escalate based on how long a participant stays in the theater. Deadline’s report described the payments as increasing with duration, but did not provide specific dollar amounts in the account of the promotional mechanism.

The screening is scheduled for the Metro Private Cinema, a smaller-format, private cinema venue that typically supports special events and closely managed audience access. Neon’s decision to place the challenge at that location, rather than a larger multiplex, suggests the distributor is using a controlled environment to manage repeated showings and to administer the long-stay incentive during the continuous run.

Alex Ullom’s “It Ends” is being positioned as a debut feature, and Neon’s move is intended to generate attention around the film’s release by shifting the focus from a one-night screening to a sustained viewing experience. In the framework described by Deadline, the marketing concept is tightly coupled to the clock: the event is defined by the length of time the theater doors remain part of the ongoing loop.

For theater staff and participants, the practical effect is a sustained staffing and audience-management schedule over more than a day, including repeated turnover, ticketing or check-in procedures (as applicable), and administration of the time-based payouts described by Neon. The event also creates a clear calendar for film exhibition at the venue, with the continuous loop shaping what audiences can expect during that period.

The 36-hour run is set to end after the scheduled duration, at which point the continuous endurance format will conclude and the venue’s programming would presumably return to its regular schedule. Neon’s reported promotion indicates that the company views the theater experience as the central distribution moment for this release window, using the repeated run plus incentive payments to shape audience behavior.

Neon’s announcement places “It Ends” in a category of release strategies that use time-limited screening formats to stand out, particularly for debut projects where distributors may seek a distinctive talking point beyond standard opening-week advertising. While the mechanics are promotional, the underlying event is still a traditional exhibition engagement at a specific New York venue, with the continuous programming and payout structure as the differentiating operational feature.