Theaters Slash Ticket Prices for Nate Bargatze’s The Breadwinner So Families Can Laugh for Less

If you feel like your wallet gets mugged every time you go to the movies these days, I’ve got a rare bit of genuinely good news. For once, a film studio is actually cutting us some slack on ticket prices. Yep—Nate Bargatze’s new family comedy, 'The Breadwinner,' is rolling out with discounted tickets at a bunch of theaters when it opens on May 29. In this box office climate, that basically counts as a minor miracle.

The Bargatze Discount, Explained

Here’s what’s happening: Bargatze, working with TriStar and Sony, basically convinced the movie theaters to make things a little more reasonable for families—taking a page out of the playbook used last year for the 2023 sports comedy '80 for Brady,' which also got lower ticket prices. AMC Theatres and Cinemark are both playing ball: AMC agreed first, then Cinemark announced they’d also drop prices by up to 25%. Not every chain is on board (and pricing will still vary by location, so check your local listings), but it’s a real thing and it’s coming your way if you actually want to see this one in a theater.

So, What's This Movie About?

'The Breadwinner' is exactly what it sounds like—a sweet, family-friendly comedy about holding down the fort at home. Nate Bargatze stars as Nate Wilcox, a regular salesman suddenly thrown into the deep end of domestic life. When his wife, played by Mandy Moore, gets her homegrown invention picked up by 'Shark Tank,' she’s whisked away on a whirlwind business trip. Nate and the kids are left to figure out how to keep the house—and their sanity—intact. Spoiler: things do not go smoothly, but fatherly chaos ensues in a way that (supposedly) everyone from your grandma to your dog can enjoy. Eric Appel directs from a script Bargatze co-wrote with Dan Lagana, so expect plenty of Bargatze’s signature dry humor running through the whole thing.

Nate’s Pitch to Audiences

Bargatze himself took to Instagram to talk up what he’s calling the 'Nate Rate,' inviting basically anyone and everyone to come to the movie. Here’s how he put it:

'So the Nate Rate is a special kind of lower ticket price because we want everyone to come out to this movie. This movie is for your grandparents, grandkids, aunts, uncles, friends, sister…anybody. Your dog. Cats I think will love this movie, specifically. Anybody that wants to come out.'

Why This Actually Matters

Let’s be honest for a second: moviegoing is just not cheap anymore. The last time I took my wife to a movie on a regular Thursday, we ended up north of $80 CAD after tickets, popcorn, and—don’t judge—a tiny, overpriced shark plushie. Sure, we lucked into a CineClub discount, but it barely dented the damage. So anytime a movie like 'The Breadwinner' gets a legit price cut, I’m all for it—especially since smaller, non-franchise films usually get steamrolled at the box office unless they catch fire on streaming a month later.

Maybe if more films tried this low-price experiment, more families would be willing to roll the dice on something new and original in theaters—and theater owners might fill more empty seats. If nothing else, at least you don’t need to take out a second mortgage for one night out with the kids this time.

• 'The Breadwinner' comes out May 29.
• Discounted pricing is available at participating AMCs and Cinemarks (up to 25% off).
• Ticket prices will vary by theater—always double-check local listings.
• It’s a family comedy starring Nate Bargatze and Mandy Moore, directed by Eric Appel from a script by Bargatze and Dan Lagana.

So, actual affordable movie tickets are a thing again—for now, at least. Enjoy it while it lasts.