By Arfat Muhammad and Mitchell Deligio
New 400 Theater owners asked for neighborhood help in booking “Queen & Slim,” and the neighborhood came through.
The film’s production company initially declined to book the movie into the Rogers Park cinema, and the owners took to social media, saying the highly anticipated film would play well with its diverse clientele.
The film is about an African American couple on the run after killing a police officer in self defense, and it comes out Nov. 27. The New 400 will be among the movies houses showing it opening night.
“We did it Rogers Park,” reads a message uploaded to Facebook Tuesday. “Because of the overwhelming support you’ve shown us, we booked ‘Queen & Slim.’ Thank you!”
Jake Weisman, New 400 Theater’s assistant general manager, said the production company initially didn’t want him to feature the movie because his theater wouldn’t be able to make as much money on it as larger, mostly suburban multiplexes.
The theater decided to spread the word on social media through a recent social media post, which generated more than 1,000 likes, shares and comments.
“We listen to our community and listen to our regulars,” Weisman said. “We know the people that come to our theater and we know fairly in the movies they want to see, so we do our best to show the movies they want to see.”
