Will COVID-19 end theatrical movies

[luprki]

Yeah, the way we’ve consume scripted entertainment was already changing before COVID. Streaming and premium cable channels was already taking over and the theaters was only good for blockbusters. If it wasn’t for the Disney’s products, theaters would’ve been in trouble a long time ago. But now that COVID is a reality, even blockbusters are no longer financially viable, at least for the next couple of years.
Television with its new technology is dominating entertainment, with COVID this may be the final nail in the coffin for movie theaters.

[Jim Kelly]

Nope. I'm just posting news when they show up.

Yeah, I wasn't questioning your bias but Deadline's. I realize that every news source has its own inherent bias. But was the bias in this piece coming from Deadline or the producers of TENET? Pre-pandemic, the bias of both might have matched. But getting people to see TENET in a theatre shouldn't be Deadline's bias. They're online--if theatres go out of business that doesn't necessarily threaten them, especially if it drives more people to do things through social media and streaming--that could drive more traffic to Deadline.

Entertainment news outlets used to work in tandem with theatres and studios, because that was mutually beneficial to all. However, with hundreds of thousands of people dead, herding audiences to the multiplex might not be the best thing for entertainment news outlets. Those are their consumers. Entertainment news outlets should re-think their place in the landscape. Maybe Deadline needs to hire more thoughtful journalists that don't recycle the statements fed from the P.R. teams at movie studios. If news comedy shows can do in depth reporting with a conscience, then why not entertainment news?

So do i post here or in box office thread? Both are pretty much the same but no one posts in the box office thread anymore.

The box office thread began when theatrical showings were normal. We didn't expect it to end (maybe we should have). So it was a good service. Rather than posting on random threads about this week's box office, we had this one place to go to. I see it as more of a "Just the facts, ma'am" thread. Looking at stats and analyzing what those stats mean.

This thread began in response to the pandemic and, god willing, should go away when we're out of the woods. I see this thread as open to philosophical and political debate about what should happen with theatres--versus things like streaming.

I always try to post about different things on each thread. As there's not a lot of box office stats to talk about--at the moment I have less to say there--but that's the kind of thread I prefer to post on, under normal circumstances.

[RockyHorror]

Can’t see how a big budget movie makes a profit with these numbers.

It's not too hard. You simply remove the part that's big budget. That's actors and directors who've come to expect they are worth more than they are.

[Powerboy]

So, the theater closest to me is open. Talked to a guy outside today. who was cleaning the windows while wearing a suit so he's either the window washer or an owner. I didn't ask. They opened Monday but haven't done much business yet, partly because it hasn't reached the weekend yet, partly because of the virus and partly because the word isn't out yet that they are open.

I haven't been one for going to theaters very often. Somewhat age. If I do go, I'm debating whether I'll start with Bill and Ted Face the Music or Wonder Woman 2.

Different subject but buffets are starting to re-open too though with very restrictive rules.

[numberthirty]

So, the theater closest to me is open. Talked to a guy outside today. who was cleaning the windows while wearing a suit so he's either the window washer or an owner. I didn't ask. They opened Monday but haven't done much business yet, partly because it hasn't reached the weekend yet, partly because of the virus and partly because the word isn't out yet that they are open.

I haven't been one for going to theaters very often. Somewhat age. If I do go, I'm debating whether I'll start with Bill and Ted Face the Music or Wonder Woman 2.

Different subject but buffets are starting to re-open too though with very restrictive rules.

The thought of a buffet actually worries me more than the thought of an indoor theater that is two/thirds full.

[Frobisher]

So, the theater closest to me is open. Talked to a guy outside today. who was cleaning the windows while wearing a suit so he's either the window washer or an owner. I didn't ask. They opened Monday but haven't done much business yet, partly because it hasn't reached the weekend yet, partly because of the virus and partly because the word isn't out yet that they are open.

I haven't been one for going to theaters very often. Somewhat age. If I do go, I'm debating whether I'll start with Bill and Ted Face the Music or Wonder Woman 2.

Different subject but buffets are starting to re-open too though with very restrictive rules.

Are the rules that whenever someone takes something from a tray, they have to immediately throw the rest of it in the bin?

[Powerboy]

Are the rules that whenever someone takes something from a tray, they have to immediately throw the rest of it in the bin?

The rules are that an employee puts on fresh gloves, takes a plate, walks with each customer and fills the plate for them, then hands it to the customer so the customer never touches the trays. Also, customers must wear masks until they sit down at the table. Tables open in such a way that there is considerable distance between tables.

Not they they were doing a lot of business between fear of the virus and the restrictions. In fact, I had already assumed their business was finished by all of this. I was in the area for something else and was surprised to see them open. It's almost certainly a family owned business and they are just trying to survive since they still have to pay the rent, open or not.

[titanfan]

tbh i think big budget movies along the lines of Avengers or JL are done, at least for the next year or two, and in the meantime theaters will likely go out of business in large enough numbers to ensure that those big budget movies are never coming back. IMO the future of movies lies in streaming services/on-demand, meaning movies will still get made but without the giant budgets. While its sad to think of, compared to all the other suffering COVID has caused it doesn't amount to much.

And let's face it, its probably as good a time as any to call it a wrap on those. Endgame largely served as a good finale for the mcu. The Star Wars trilogy was a mess and probably best to focus on series like Mandalorean going forward. DCEU at least got to wash out some of the snyderverse stink with WW, Aquaman, Shazam. I'm not sure anybody really cares that much if we get more Transformers, Fast and Furious, Bond films, etc. But of course i don't speak for everybody.

Movie theaters have been making a killing with the big blockbuster stuff. Metrics have shown that customers are willing to pay for IMax, Surround Sound, 3D, etc for all of these big blockbusters. I don't know, a lot of the newer theaters have heavily invested in those. It's kind of been an arms race.

In my local town we have too many movie seats per capita anyway, never been a problem finding tickets and seats are probably dreadfully empty now.

[basbash99]

Movie theaters have been making a killing with the big blockbuster stuff. Metrics have shown that customers are willing to pay for IMax, Surround Sound, 3D, etc for all of these big blockbusters. I don't know, a lot of the newer theaters have heavily invested in those. It's kind of been an arms race.

In my local town we have too many movie seats per capita anyway, never been a problem finding tickets and seats are probably dreadfully empty now.

I feel like the financial success of a blockbuster is dependent on A) packing the house at every showing on opening weekend and B) fans going to see the movie multiple times (repeat viewings). Theatres literally cannot pack the house due to Covid restrictions, even if the demand was there (maybe, maybe not). And i'm guessing that a good chunk of people who might normally go see a movie 2 or 3 times might settle for just one viewing, given the risks involved. Just my 2 cents, of course, so i could be way off base. I'm a hardcore mcu fan but have no plans to go to a movie theatre until 2021 at a minimum, and i'm assuming i'm not alone.

Also, my understanding is that theaters themselves make most of their money on concessions, so with theaters at 50% seating capacity (or whatever), it does seem like they are really going to struggle financially. Its not like they can get away with doubling the already exorbitant price of a box of popcorn to compensate. Guess they could raise ticket prices but that will just further reduce people's willingness to go to the movies.

There is one movie theater in my city, a regal cinema situated in a mall that was literally 90% empty storefronts back in February BEFORE Covid shut everything down. Hard to see how it survives very long in this environment, unless the government decides to step in and subsidize it. Most of the surrounding towns and cities have zero or one movie theater, until you get to the big cities like Boston and Cambridge.

[luprki]

Theaters might actually lose money by opening. With only 50% max some states only 25% max, plus less showings, how are these theaters going to survive. Even with a max 25%-50% capacity requirement, it hard for theaters to reach these requirements.

[Holt]

Tenet opens to 20 million. The studio spin doctors are already trying to frame it as a hit.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

I went to see Tenet the other day- I live by myself, I'm on vacation, I was wearing a mask, so I figured what the hell? I'll go for it. Turns out I was the only one in the theater.
Also i didn't understand the movie at all. Didn't help that the exposition scenes had too much background noise.

[kingaliencracker]

Tenet opens to 20 million. The studio spin doctors are already trying to frame it as a hit.

It's certainly done well internationally but $20 million in the states for (what was supposed to be) a major summer blockbuster is abysmal.

WB let Christopher Nolan bully them into releasing this too soon, as well as a theatrical release. Certainly didn't help I'm sure that, by many accounts, it was a rather confusing film.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

For me, I rarely went to the theater anyway because it was often an annoying experience with all of the noisy people.

I basically went for the superhero stuff and Star Wars. Can't remember anything else I bothered with at the theater in recent years.

Going forward, even after the all-clear, I probably will scale back even further.

Like, I want to see Wonder Woman in the theater, but I can wait for Black Widow on Blu-Ray.

Now that Avengers is over, I'd probably just Blu-wait on Marvel movies in general.

If Eternals gets stellar reviews and looks good, that would be an exception, but the rest can wait -- especially if theatrical windows are shortened.

I prefer DC's characters, so I'd give them more leeway in terms of theater viewing, but if Birds of Prey were coming out now, I'd Blu-wait that as well. Most other DC's, I'll still see at the theater.

[Jim Kelly]

I've no interest in seeing MULAN--never saw the original cartoon--I would rather watch actual Chinese movies (made in Hong Kong, Taiwan or the P.R.C.). But I've watched a few reviews on youtube, for purely academic interest. And I was watching a review by Mark Kermode and at the end he kept saying he didn't understand why Disney didn't release it in theatres. Is he an idiot? Does he not know there's a pandemic or that Disney has been struggling for months with what to do with MULAN? I've often wondered about his intelligence--he sounds intelligent because he's British and he looks intelligent because he wears glasses--but the guy must be daft, if he could ask such a question with a straight face.