They aren't going to stay at 25% capacity. When there is a vaccine they can go back to 100%.
Cinemark CEO say movie theaters won’t fully open until 2022.
https://deadline.com/2020/06/movie-t...us-1202949956/
Attendance might not be fully back up to pre-Covid levels until then, but there is no reason not to fully reopen them as soon as a vaccine is generally available.
Some theater chains will probably not survive, but as long as demand is there the theaters will be acquired by new companies (or existing companies looking to expand into the vacuum) and things will get back to normal.
And I do believe the demand will be there.
Not sure how independent theaters will do... many of them will be able to survive by thinking outside the box or relying on crowdfunding from their dedicated local patrons. The days of seeing anything other than a big-budget movie in a cineplex may be gone for good, though.
With rising ticket and concession prices plus the growing popularity with steaming, movie theaters was already a dying breed. The coronavirus has made this worse. When the theaters open, I think we’ll see same day releases, because studios are not going to lose money with only a theatrical release.
Studios will lose money because of the 25% capacity requirement and the fact that a lot of people are afraid to go back.
My friend who works at a theater told me they are blocking off 75% of the seats and they will have checkerboard seating that’s 6 feet apart. Even people who are together must also be 6 feet apart because of the block seats. There will also be less showing, because every seats must be disinfected between showing. There is no way a studio can make profit with only a theatrical release.
Going day 1 digital does not solve that. The people that will purchase the movie day 1 will be the ones that will purchase it when it goes digital a few weeks later. Putting a buffer between those gives people an incentive to want to see it in the theaters even if its for a limited run. They are going to have to rebudget in the future and account for streaming bc alot of the big budget films like the Marvel titles arent going to be profitable releasing straight to Disney Plus. Im already prepaid at ~$4 a month for the next 2 and a half years and they arent getting any extra money for me, while I have access to all the content put on there. Thats the reality for many and account sharing and watch parties are a thing
Studios will find a way to make their money, with or without movie theaters.
P.S. If anyone has prepaid, ask for your money back, probably won’t get it back, but ask anyway.
Last edited by luprki; 06-09-2020 at 12:04 PM.
Stream the movie from my home! Bye theaters!
AKA FlashFreak
Favorite Characters:
DC: The Flash (Jay & Wally), Starman- Jack Knight, Stargirl, & Shazam!.
MARVEL: Daredevil, Spider-Man (Peter Parker), & Doctor Strange.
Current Pulls: Not a thing!
AMC Theaters announces it will open almost all of its theaters by July. The question is will they be able to stay open.