Neon turned the release of its new horror film It Ends into an endurance challenge, inviting contestants to watch the movie repeatedly for up to 36 hours.
The film, directed by Alexander Ullom, follows four college graduates who become trapped on a seemingly endless highway. To promote its release, distributor Neon selected participants through video applications and placed them into teams of four for a marathon screening in New York.
Contestants were only allowed to leave the theater for bathroom breaks while the movie played continuously. They could bring their own food and supplies and were given $250 for theater concessions.
Participants earned 25 cents for every minute they remained in the competition, with a maximum of $540, plus a $500 bonus for completing the full 36 hours.
One of the winners, 24-year-old Veronica Giligan, managed to watch the film 24 times and earned $1,040. She said her group had agreed before the screening that none of them would leave before the 36 hours were over.