Will COVID-19 end theatrical movies

[Holt]

Surprising no one, it's looking like Mulan will not be a one off situation.

[Killerbee911]

Surprising no one, it's looking like Mulan will not be a one off situation.

Yeah this Covid thing is going to be around for awhile it make sense for them to use it more.

[Gaastra]

box office update. (overseas ones anyway)


Harry potter 1 wins big in china and may hit $1b.

https://deadline.com/2020/08/china-h...us-1203013370/

Blessedly, another busy weekend at the international box office as new titles and eventized reissues hit overseas markets that have resumed operations. The biggest numbers are from China, where Warner Bros’ 4K 3D restoration of Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone drew muggles to the tune of an estimated $13.6M on 16,000 screens over the three-day frame (including $2.1M from 594 IMAX screens). The 19-year-old movie set a new single-day gross record in the post-COVID era on Saturday and is now just a little over $2M from becoming only the second movie in the franchise to hit $1B worldwide.

Greenland doing well in other countries.

Spongbob 3 released in canada.



https://deadline.com/2020/08/sponge-...ay-1203014611/

The top grossing titles at the weekend domestic box office, were straight from Canada with Paramount’s SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run landing the No. 1 spot with $900K from 300 locations per the Melrose Ave studio with $345K on Friday, and $300K on Saturday, -13%.

SpongeBob Movie, along with Trolls: World Tour, have been the only new major studio mainstream movies (not counting specialty label titles) to be released during the pandemic.

Solstice Studios’ Russell Crowe road rage movie Unhinged, distributed in Canada by VVS, but it made $230K on Friday for a $582K 3-day.

[Immortal Weapon]

Surprising no one, it's looking like Mulan will not be a one off situation.

They gonna do this with Black Widow ain't they?

[Kirby101]

box office update. (overseas ones anyway)


Harry potter 1 wins big in china and may hit $1b.

https://deadline.com/2020/08/china-h...us-1203013370/

Trying to do the math. Average ticket price in China is $5 so that means about 2.7 million people went to see Harry Potter over the 3 days. At 16,000 theaters, that's a little over 800 people going to each theater, over the whole weekend. Let's say they have around 6 showings per day (that is usual) that is 18 showings, so about 44 people per showing. Now I wonder what the capacity is in these theaters with COVID protocols?

[Jim Kelly]

I only just became aware that movie theatres are open here in Canada, with the reporting of the weekend's box office. They've been open for more than a month. Shows how out of the loop I am.

This is the kind of thing that fills me with fear. Sure, Canada has been able to keep the infection rate down (yet not without a lot of people dying just the same), but now that the fall approaches these numbers are going up. And we're flirting with disaster by opening up for movies. Not only will they have to shut down again, when things get worse, but a higher rate of infection endangers the film industry, too. If all the productions opening up now have to shut down in a month or two--that could destroy the film industry for good.

Slow and steady wins the race. That's something I learned in Kindergarten.

[obatalla]

duplicate post.

[obatalla]

Yeah this Covid thing is going to be around for awhile it make sense for them to use it more.

who is that in your avatar?

[Gaastra]

​Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone just passed the billion mark at the box office thanks to china! It's the first post virus film to hit a billion! Welcome to the billion club harry potter 1!

https://www.reddit.com/r/boxoffice/c...n_china_harry/

[Holt]

In July, AMC Theaters and Universal Pictures rocked the industry with their historic deal to collapse the traditional 90-day theatrical window to as little as 17 days before offering first-run features on premium VOD for about $20.

Immediately, industry insiders debated how the deal could weaken the already precarious health of the theatrical experience, with many arguing that shortening the window would only further incentivize audiences to stay at home.

But that ship may have already sailed. In an exclusive new survey from Performance Research in partnership with Full Circle Research, nearly twice as many people said that they would wait the full 90-days to see a must-see movie at home than expressed a desire to see it first in a theater — even after attending movie theaters again is generally considered safe once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

According to the survey of over 1,000 people in the United States conducted between Aug. 3–10, only 12% said they would definitely see a movie in a theater first if there was a 90-day wait to watch it at home on premium VOD (at a $20 price point). Another 15% said they would probably watch first in a theater.

By contrast, 21% said they would probably wait to watch at home, and 23% said they would definitely wait.

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/w...ey-1234738046/

[Holt]

A federal judge Tuesday upheld New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy’s closure of movie theaters in the state, dismissing a motion for an injunction by the National Association of Theatre Owners and five cinema chains that would have allowed them to open their doors.

Judge Brian Martinotti ruled that the state is not infringing on the theaters First Amendment rights to free speech in enforcing its pandemic-related closure. Theaters had tried to make a case for discrimination since New Jersey allowed churches to open but not movie theaters.

Theaters in adjacent New York are also up in arms as they remain closed even as Governor Andrew Cuomo opens other venues like bowling alleys and gyms.


NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo Calls Movie Theaters Riskier, Less Essential Than Other Businesses, No Word On Reopening
The 33-page opinion outlined the state’s emergency declaration, COVID-19 response and current phased reopening plans that consider indoor performance entertainment venues riskier than others with people gathering at one place for a prolonged period.

Theaters find that unfair. Movie chains had met with Governor with their list of safety protocols for safe reopening that they believe are more “health protective” than other indoor activities which are permitted. The judge listed them and noted Governor Murphy had lowered the public gathering limit during the recent coronavirus surge from 100 people to 50, but exempted “religious services or celebrations, political activities, wedding ceremonies, funerals, and memorial services.”

But, citing case law, noted that preliminary injunctions are “extraordinary remedies, which should be granted only in limited circumstance” and that theaters did not meet the bar.

The “Court finds Defendants’ measures—even if they are not the least restrictive means—to be narrowly tailored to the goal of preventing the spread of COVID-19,” the ruling said. “Defendants have satisfied their burden in demonstrating [the closure order] is a content-neutral regulation that passes muster under intermediate scrutiny. Accordingly, Plaintiffs have not established a reasonable probability of success on the merits for their First Amendment or New Jersey Constitution Article I, claims.”

The case has offered a close-up look at the effort by beleaguered theaters to restart business again after months of shutdowns due to COVID-19.

https://deadline.com/2020/08/judge-u...rs-1203016328/

[Jim Kelly]

Last night I had a dream that I went to see the new Wonder Woman movie in the theatre and Patty Jenkins sat next to me. We really got on well. And then after the movie was over, Gal Gadot joined us and we all left the theatre together.

So I guess I must really want to see that movie in the theatre, if I'm having vivid dreams about it.

[Holt]

https://deadline.com/2020/08/disney-...rs-1203020104/

Disney will release Mulan, its forthcoming premium VOD attraction, to Disney+ subscribers paying an extra $30 for it via Apple, Roku and Google platforms in addition to Disney’s own website.

Earlier this month, the company revealed its plans for the major title during its quarterly conference call with Wall Street analysts, ending feverish speculation about the company’s COVID-19 strategy. It said it would allow Disney+ subscribers to unlock “premier access” to the film on September 4 “on select platforms,” but did not identify those partner entities.

Amazon Fire TV is not on the list of confirmed distribution outlets. The tech platform also was a holdout on Disney+ when it launched last fall, though it wound up reaching a deal to carry the $7-a-month service. HBO Max and Peacock, two new streaming entrants, are not currently available on either Amazon or Roku, which combined reach more than 80 million U.S. homes.

Involving third parties means sharing a cut of each transaction, typically ranging from 20% to 30%, which will reduce Disney’s proceeds at a sensitive time. Given the importance of customer satisfaction with such a high-profile offering, though, that sacrifice in revenue could be worth it for a more seamless experience. “The implication,” LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield tweeted, “is Disney+ subscribers will be able to use in-app purchase on Apple, Google and Roku devices rather than having to buy on Disneyplus.com and then return to the device of choice.”

Instead of replicating the move of Hamilton to Disney+ last month as an enticement for new streaming subscribers able to watch the feature for free, Disney opted to add the $30 charge. The company has not indicated when regular subscribers to Disney+ will be able to see Mulan, which cost an estimated $300 million to make and market, as part of their subscriptions. The live-action remake of Disney’s animated film is getting a theatrical release in certain territories, though not enough to bring in the $1 billion-plus at the box office than more than a dozen 2019 Disney releases grossed.

[Havok83]

So its not exclusive to D+. Good, but D+ subscribers should pay a reduced fee

ETA: I guess I read that wrong. Its talking about D+ on those devices, not their services

[Jim Kelly]

D+? That's the mark I got from Mrs. Smith in grade 2.