Will COVID-19 end theatrical movies

[choptop]

AMC Theaters announces it will open almost all of its theaters by July. The question is will they be able to stay open.

Without as meny new movies until 2021 2022 probably not.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

AMC Theaters announces it will open almost all of its theaters by July. The question is will they be able to stay open.

And how do they handle the new normal of social distancing? Limit the number of patrons in theaters? Remove seats to encourage distance? Your guess is as good as mine.

[Havok83]

And how do they handle the new normal of social distancing? Limit the number of patrons in theaters? Remove seats to encourage distance? Your guess is as good as mine.

Theaters have already adjusted to that. Before it was 50% capacity and now its 25% in some places. It would be too costly to remove seats and not worth it especially since guidelines keep changing

[Zero Hunter]

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.

If you look at the yearly box office numbers you can see your wrong. Totally wrong. The yearly box office numbers have gone UP every year for the last 20 years. People are still going to the movies no matter what the streaming stay at home and never go outside crowd thinks. Last year it was over 11 billions dollars. Ten year ago it was around 10 billion. Twenty years ago it was 7 billion. No matter what you think there is no way the studios will EVER make the kind of money they can from a theatrical release on streaming. To keep saying they will is foolish. If they could they would have already worked out a way to do it.

Most people LIKE leaving there house once in a while and going out with friends. Unless Covaid makes a strong comeback here pretty soon it will be forgotten about by the end of the year and people will go pretty much back to how they used to act. You are seeing that already around the country.

[AndrewCrossett]

Different states will have different rules. In New York when restaurants resume dine-in service this weekend (in most of the state, not NYC), restaurants will be limited to 50% capacity, tables have to be 6 feet apart or separated by a physical barrier; masks worn except when seated. Parties are limited to 10 people but no effort will be made to ensure they are all from the same household.

When theaters open (two weeks later, hopefully), I imagine it will be the same. 6 feet of space between groups, groups limited to 10 people, 50% capacity, masks worn except while seated.

Somebody clever might invent a portable, flexible barrier that fits around the sides and back of a theater seat so that parties or individuals can sit closer together and still be separated from others.

[PD98]

If you look at the yearly box office numbers you can see your wrong. Totally wrong. The yearly box office numbers have gone UP every year for the last 20 years. People are still going to the movies no matter what the streaming stay at home and never go outside crowd thinks. Last year it was over 11 billions dollars. Ten years ago it was around 10 billion. Twenty years ago it was 7 billion. No matter what you think there is no way the studios will EVER make the kind of money they can from a theatrical release on streaming. To keep saying they will is foolish. If they could they would have already worked out a way to do it.

Most people LIKE leaving their house once in a while and going out with friends. Unless Covaid makes a strong comeback here pretty soon it will be forgotten about by the end of the year and people will go pretty much back to how they used to act. You are seeing that already around the country.

You also know that people like going to theatres since drive-ins experienced a resurgence during the lockdowns, no matter what people would just like the chance to leave their home and see a movie with friends/family. If people never wanted to go out to the theatres because of streaming than none of the drive-ins would have experienced the spike in visitors. Like you said (and what I keep thinking every time some says that theaters are going to die) studios will always choose theaters over streaming since no matter what they get more money since people have to pay for every viewing and for every person over 5, while with streaming they only have to pay once every month and at a fixed rate.
Sure Trolls 2 got $200+ million in rentals, but how much do you think they would have got from people seeing it again or in large groups, and that's not getting into the varying prices based on the time and what kind of theatre.
I'm an introvert to the extreme but going out to see movies is one of the best ways to get me out of the house outside of work and grocery shopping. Personally I have not watched any of the movies that have come out PVOD since all I have to do is wait a while and then just buy it or watch on any of the movie channels.

[Scott Taylor]

California has authorized movie theatres to open, this weekend, with the following guidelines:

• Limit the number of attendees in each theater to 25% of theater capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower.
• Implement a reservation system to limit the number of attendees entering the theater at a time whenever possible.
• Designate arrival times as part of reservations, if possible, so that customers arrive at and enter the theater in staggered groups.
• Establish directional entry and exit into theaters where possible.
• Reconfigure, close, or otherwise remove seats from use to ensure physical distancing of at least six feet between attendees. This may require seating every other row or blocking off or removing seats in a “checkerboard” style (use each row but make sure no one is directly behind other patrons) so that distances are maintained in all directions.
• Members of the same household may be seated together but should maintain at least six feet of distance from other households.
• Consider limiting the number of people that use the restroom at one time to allow for physical distancing.
• Face coverings should be worn by patrons when not eating or drinking.
• At a minimum, face coverings should be worn when entering and exiting theaters, when obtaining refreshments at the concession stand, and whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained. Postings for patrons should include this information.
• Dedicate staff to help people maintain distances before and after screenings. This could include ushering to seats prior to the start of a show and dismissing customers in an orderly fashion to reduce the crossflow of traffic or crowding in exit rows.
• Consider using disposable or washable seat covers in theaters, particularly on porous surfaces that are difficult to properly clean. Discard and replace seat covers between each use.
• Prop or hold doors open during peak periods when attendees are entering and exiting facilities, if possible and in accordance with security and safety protocols.
• Turn off public drinking water fountains and place signs informing attendees they are inoperable.Reconfigure parking lots to limit congregation points and ensure proper separation (e.g., closing every other space).
• If offering drive-in movies, ensure that vehicles have at least six feet of distance between them. Operators of these establishments should follow additional applicable guidance for retailers of Drive-In Movie Theaters.

To me, its sounding kind of old timey. Ushers taking you to your seats like happened in the 1940s. As of yet, I haven't heard any announcements from my local theatres about opening. It seems that it will take them a bit to ramp up.

[AndrewCrossett]

If the number of rules reaches double figures, it's probably too soon to reopen.

[Jim Kelly]

I was a little boy in the 1960s and movie theatres still had ushers and usherettes back then. The thing is there was more than just the main feature, so when you arrived at the theatre there was usually a film already playing, and the theatre was pitch-dark except for the movie projection, so it was impossible to see a foot in front of you. You really needed someone to guide you to a seat. The ushers and usherettes would have flashlights and take you down the aisle to find open seats--with seven of us, it proved quite the task to find seats for all of us.

[luprki]

If you look at the yearly box office numbers you can see your wrong. Totally wrong. The yearly box office numbers have gone UP every year for the last 20 years. People are still going to the movies no matter what the streaming stay at home and never go outside crowd thinks. Last year it was over 11 billions dollars. Ten year ago it was around 10 billion. Twenty years ago it was 7 billion. No matter what you think there is no way the studios will EVER make the kind of money they can from a theatrical release on streaming. To keep saying they will is foolish. If they could they would have already worked out a way to do it.

Most people LIKE leaving there house once in a while and going out with friends. Unless Covaid makes a strong comeback here pretty soon it will be forgotten about by the end of the year and people will go pretty much back to how they used to act. You are seeing that already around the country.

What you are missing is ticket prices rates has gone up faster than the inflation rate over the years, that’s why the b/o was $11 million last year. Attendance has actually been going down over the last few years.
With the limited seating arrangement they will have to raise prices again the make up for the lost audience.

[Gaastra]

AMC looking to wonder woman and spider-man to help save and restart movie chains.

Wonder woman and into the spider-verse return to the big screen july 15.

https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/wonder-woman-64607


https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/s...er-verse-64606

American sniper and inception also returning to amc and some chains will show lord of the rings, raiders of the lost ark, spaceballs (!!!), back to the future and kiki's delivery service. (i would have picked spirited away or totoro myself.)

[luprki]

How are these movies going to make money with only a 30% max audience and less showing?

[Joker]

AMC won’t be enforcing masks so as to avoid any controversy.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

AMC won’t be enforcing masks so as to avoid any controversy.

Controversy with who? Trump? PLEASE! I don't see that decision lasting very long. Moviegoers will be skittish enough when it comes to going back to the multiplex, IMO, I suspect they won't patronize a theater chain without a mandate for masks in place.

[AndrewCrossett]

Whoever the person at AMC was who convinced them that not requiring masks was the way to avoid controversy, ought to be fired.

Of course, that would just mean he gets a head start on his co-workers in the unemployment line.