Heading to the movies? Here’s why AMC wants you to consider a smaller film, like this Springsteen-inspired story. – NJ.com

This spring and summer, smaller and mid-sized movies have gotten squashed at the box office in favor of blockbuster fare.

It’s not exactly a new problem — even some would-be blockbusters have failed to deliver under the weight of so many streaming options — but AMC Theatres is looking to give lesser-seen movies a boost.

The theater chain is rolling out AMC Artisan, a new program that will try to increase theatergoers’ awareness of these films, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The initiative grew out of a meeting between AMC executives and members of the Directors Guild of America, including Jon Avnet (“Fried Green Tomatoes”).

In an effort to drive interest in these films, AMC theaters will more aggressively promote them and offer more convenient showtimes.

“With the launch of AMC Artisan Films, we aim to expose more moviegoers to specialized films and increase their theatrical success,” said Elizabeth Frank, AMC’s executive vice president for worldwide programming and chief content officer, in a statement. “And we plan to increase consumer access to these special films by seeking earlier runs in platform releases and holding longer in theater to give audiences time to learn about them from other passionate guests.”

One of the movies that will benefit from the program is “Blinded by the Light,” due out in theaters on August 14. The film, which features the music of Bruce Springsteen, follows Javed, a teenager of Pakistani heritage living in 1980s England, who finds himself in the Boss’ lyrics.

The movie, based on “Greetings from Bury Park,” a memoir from Springsteen superfan and journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, was screened in May as part of the Montclair Film Festival. Director Gurinder Chadha (“Bend it Like Beckham”) got a standing ovation (the movie also got a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year) and Springsteen fans called the story relatable and touching.

AMC will launch its Artisan efforts with “Yesterday,” a film from Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) out on Friday (June 28) that imagines a world where the Beatles never existed, except in the memory of one man who wakes up in the wrong timeline.

According to Box Office Mojo, “Toy Story 4” currently tops the box office, having made a total of $167.5 million in the United States since its June 21 release. Films that didn’t perform as well as producers might have hoped for this summer have included “Long Shot” starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen, which made just over $30 million domestically since May 3; the coming-of-age movie “Booksmart,” which made less than $21 million since May 24; and “Late Night,” starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson, which has brought in less than $12 million since June 7.

Other films that will be part of the program:

• “The Art of Self-Defense” (July 12), a dark comedy starring Alessandro Nivola (“Sopranos” prequel “The Many Saints of Newark”) as a sensei and East Brunswick’s Jesse Eisenberg as his karate student.
• “Luce” (August 2), a film starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. as high school student Luce Edgar, whose parents (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) aren’t sure what to believe when they have to contend with serious allegations against their son from his teacher (Octavia Spencer).

• “The Peanut Butter Falcon” (August 9), a film about a young man with Down syndrome who wants to become a professional wrestler, starring Zack Gottsagen, Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson.
• “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” (August 16), a film directed by Richard Linklater (“Boyhood”) starring Cate Blanchett as Bernadette Fox, a mother who has sacrificed everything for her family and decides to reconnect with her creativity, with wondrous results.
• The “Downton Abbey” movie (Sept. 20), with Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery and more cast members from the TV series.

Have a tip? Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.

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