A pop-up drive-in movie experience is helping shopping center owners monetize underutilized parking lots. Live events company Kilburn Media — known for touring productions and pop-up theatrical events for brands like Dr. Seuss, Game of Thrones and Peanuts — will raise drive-in theaters in three Texas shopping center parking lots in May. It plans to add more units in other states and in Canada, likely Denver and Toronto next, as governments loosen social-distancing requirements.

Kilburn’s drive-in operations require minimum parking lot space, according to CEO and partner Mark Manuel. “This doesn’t shut down when the malls open,” Manuel said. “Our screen takes up such little land space. Tuck it toward the back of the parking lot, and you have 90 percent of parking available during the day.” The movies show on truss screens while audio streams to customer’s smartphones. The streaming technology, which Kilburn acquired in October from Vulcan, is key to making the viewing experience work in a pop-up format.

The company offers a variety of screen sizes, from one that serves 75 cars across 35,000 square feet of parking space to one that serves 250 cars across 125,000 square feet. “It’s a truss structure, with a nice crisp cloth that doesn’t get caught in the wind,” he said.

Food-and-beverage tenants can benefit from the drive-in, too. “Our platform allows restaurants to get involved,” he said. Kilburn has developed a smartphone app that allows customers to order food from onsite concession stands in the parking lot or possibly from nearby participating restaurants.

The drive-ins will operate on month-to-month contracts, Manuel said. Kilburn can work with a shopping center owner or manager or a movie-theater anchor. In some cases, it’s a three-way partnership. Every entity has a different arrangement with Kilburn. Some want to handle logistics on their own and pay as-low-as-possible a fee to Kilburn, and some will opt for more help from Kilburn through a revenue-sharing model.

If lockdowns persist through August and September, Manuel said Kilburn could add stages at some pop-ups for live performances like stand-up comics and touring kids shows.