A website bearing the name of MoviePass seemed to be teasing a possible comeback this week, with a countdown simply reading – “The movie is about to start.” 

However, once the countdown hit zero days and zero hours, nothing changed…

It is important to note the countdown is found on the Web site moviepass.ventures, not the original MoviePass site, moviepass.com. The original site still contains information about the service disruption.

Twitter user @StonkGodCapital discovered findings that the countdown was a ploy to increase the/r/MoviePassClub discord server’s user base. The hoax seems to be linked to April Fool’s Day. 

Variety discovered the new website was anonymously registered in early February, and contacted MoviePass’s CEO Mitch Lowe, who said, “I have no idea. It has nothing to do with me.”

A comeback would have been timely for the service since many movie theaters have been closed for the better part of a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Major movie theaters are starting to open again, and the relaunch of MoviePass would certainly have brought in business. 

I got tricked into believing that a cheap movie subscription was returning. MoviePass was so cheap! I went to the movies multiple times a week! Why did the good times have to end?

MoviePass launched in 2014 but eventually shut down officially in late 2019 because of financial issues surrounding the low subscription costs and various lawsuits.

 To combat the MoviePass service, Cinemark and AMC began their own ticket selling subscription services, and much more successfully.

MoviePass implemented fees to big films and popular time slots and introduced blackouts where users could no longer see movies at certain times. This drove much of its user base away. By 2019, the service ended indefinitely.

What started as a movie-lover’s dream had faded to black, rode off into the sunset, rolled credits, broke off mid sen-.

Okay, okay. I know the service wasn’t meant to last. But the timing of a return would have been amazing. After a year of not getting to go to the movies, I know I would have binge-watched so many movies with such an inexpensive service. I know I’ll be first in line to see “A Quiet Place Part II” in May, mask required if I have to.

It’s a shame the service won’t be making a comeback, but there are still subscription services available for those who prefer to use them for their movie-going experiences, such as three movies a week with AMC Stubs A-List or a movie a month with Cinemark Movie Club, both viable options in a post-MoviePass world.