Regal's Summer Movie Express is returning to area cinemas with $1 family movies at 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday from June 1 through Aug. 13.
The program, which runs weekdays through mid-August, brings discounted morning screenings to Regal Cinemas in Brier Creek, North Hills, Cary and Garner. Kid's snack packs will also be offered at reduced prices for the series, giving families a second bargain alongside the $1 ticket.
Titles on the slate mix recent animated hits and older, familiar favorites. Among the younger set are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Scoob! and Animal Farm. For parents looking to nudge a little nostalgia into the day, The Sandlot and Muppet Treasure Island are listed among the old school favorites.
Those five titles alone spotlight the program’s pitch: inexpensive, family-friendly screenings that span generations and tastes. At $1 per ticket, the math is simple — a weekday morning at the movies becomes an affordable option for households that might otherwise skip a theater visit during the summer.
For families across the Triangle, regal theaters are positioning the program as a routine summer activity rather than an occasional treat. The consistent schedule — Monday through Thursday at 11 a.m. — makes it easy to plan around camps, playdates and other daytime commitments for at least part of the week.
Other local exhibitors are part of the broader summer landscape. The Marquee Cinemas in Raleigh and Triangle Cinemas in Raleigh each operate their own schedules and promotions, while multiplexes with expanded food offerings such as Cinemark Bistro and AMC Theaters maintain separate programs that may appeal to families seeking evening or weekend shows.
The predictable timing is also the program’s constraint. By keeping screenings to weekday mornings, the series steers clear of the higher-traffic weekend slots where new, first-run films play — and where many families who work weekdays may find attendance difficult. For families with flexible summers and younger children who nap midafternoon, the 11 a.m. start is ideal; for others, it’s a trade-off between price and convenience.
Regal’s selection leans on easy-to-recognize titles rather than current blockbusters, which is part of the strategy. A slate that includes The Sandlot and Muppet Treasure Island targets parents and grandparents who remember those films, while entries like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Scoob! aim to draw kids who want contemporary animation and action.
The presence of discounted kid snack packs underscores the program’s family-first angle: concession revenue is typically the higher-margin part of a theater visit, and lower snack prices reduce the total cost of a morning out. For households tallying the budget, a $1 ticket plus a discounted snack often beats the cost of a day at the pool or a local attraction that charges admission per person.
Practical matters matter here. The series runs only through Aug. 13, so the window to use the weekday mornings is finite. Parents planning summer activities should check showtimes at the nearest locations — Brier Creek, North Hills, Cary and Garner are among the named venues — and pick the weeks that fit their calendars.
There is a clear takeaway: for families able to make weekday mornings work, Regal's Summer Movie Express is the best-value option on offer in the Triangle this summer. It trades the newest releases and weekend flexibility for near-unbeatable price and a curated mix of titles that can entertain kids and often please adults in the same seat.
