The Box Office

[luprki]

Disney, WB and NBCUniversal was smart to start their own streaming service. Paramount with CBS is expanding its streaming service. Sony is being left behind on steaming, they probably will sell their studios to other company.

[Gaastra]

Drive ins now count for academy awards!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/enter...02021%20Oscars.

[GOLGO 13]

A third of the country will need a lot longer than that. Remember this has become more of a political issue than a medical one.

I wonder what is keeping the people on the other side from flocking to the movies is droves to prove how much of a hoax & lying is being perpetrated by the "lamestream media" on the American people. What's there to be afraid of?

[Jim Kelly]

I wonder what is keeping the people on the other side from flocking to the movies is droves to prove how much of a hoax & lying is being perpetrated by the "lamestream media" on the American people. What's there to be afraid of?

The places in the U.S. that the movie studios depend on for big box office are in the highly urbanized areas of the country. But highly urbanized areas are where the virus is more likely to spread, because you have a lot of people living in a small area. Big box office movies are geared to appeal to those people--but they either can't go (because the theatres aren't open) or they don't want to go (because they tend to be people who listen to scientists).

Rural areas, which still have theatres open, don't bring in enough people to make it profitable for the movie studios, but those areas of the country are where people who think it's all a hoax tend to live. However, a religious movie that plays to their biases could do well. If Mel Gibson has a movie ready for release, this would be the time to put it in those rural theatres.

[titanfan]

Doesn't this just underscore how unnecessary the theaters are? aside from the blockbusters looking to earn a billion, seems like everything else can be handled by the various streaming services, without any worries about COVID. and now Regal seems to be planning on shutting down their theaters for the rest of the year, with the Bond movie being the final straw.

It might be if people were making mid-budget movies again, it's still not financially ideal for them. (At least the big studios aren't)

[Gaastra]

Box office update. War with grampa (what is the movie even about again?) and hocus pocus may be the big films this week. Coco doing well also. (well as well as half the chains are closed anyway.)


https://deadline.com/2020/10/war-wit...ce-1234595173/

[LordMikel]

Doesn't this just underscore how unnecessary the theaters are? aside from the blockbusters looking to earn a billion, seems like everything else can be handled by the various streaming services, without any worries about COVID. and now Regal seems to be planning on shutting down their theaters for the rest of the year, with the Bond movie being the final straw.

For me, here is my issue. And this is potentially a minor concern for movie companies.

I'll use Bill and Ted 3 for my example. I want to see that movie. My wife has no interest. When it hit streaming, it cost $30 bucks, which I think is lowered now to $20. But if I went to the movies myself, which I would have done, it would cost me about $10. At this moment in time, I have not yet seen the movie for this reason, as I can't justify spending that amount of money to watch a movie by myself.

Now yes, if this were Frozen 2, which my entire family wanted to see, we would spend $40 at the theaters no problem, plus food and drink, so another $40. Spending 30 to watch at home, makes way more sense.

Trolls World Tour did great. https://www.********/articles/trolls...od-11588066202 Which I think for that reason. Family movies would be great at home while "date night" might still be better at theaters.

I also believe New York and Los Angeles ticket prices are more at 15 to 20. Other places might be that high as well, so yes, people there might not have a problem paying those streaming rights for one ticket.

[PCN24454]

Doesn't this just underscore how unnecessary the theaters are? aside from the blockbusters looking to earn a billion, seems like everything else can be handled by the various streaming services, without any worries about COVID. and now Regal seems to be planning on shutting down their theaters for the rest of the year, with the Bond movie being the final straw.

It's unnecessary in the way school is unnecessary.

Having a place where you can really devote your attention to the film is always nice to have.

[Nate Grey]

For me, here is my issue. And this is potentially a minor concern for movie companies.

I'll use Bill and Ted 3 for my example. I want to see that movie. My wife has no interest. When it hit streaming, it cost $30 bucks, which I think is lowered now to $20. But if I went to the movies myself, which I would have done, it would cost me about $10. At this moment in time, I have not yet seen the movie for this reason, as I can't justify spending that amount of money to watch a movie by myself.

It may help, hurt, or be nothing of consequence either way, but you're allowed to rewatch your purchase as many times as you want for 24 hours. I didn't, I just wanted to see part 3 of Bill & Ted and used morbid curiosity to justify the high cost and once was enough (I loved it though). But that option was there. I suspect its the same for any of the would-be-threatrical-if-not-for-covid movies that come out this way, like the Mulan remake for example.

[Jim Kelly]

It seems inevitable that everything is going to be digital for home viewing--but how do you make money from that, especially when it's so easy to pirate? Recording artists ended up going on the road to make their money when record sales fell through the floor. But how does a movie studio go on the road? Maybe stage productions instead of movies, with the actors appearing live instead of on screen.

[Aahz]

Doesn't this just underscore how unnecessary the theaters are? aside from the blockbusters looking to earn a billion, seems like everything else can be handled by the various streaming services, without any worries about COVID.

But that would basically be the end of blockbuster movies, and not only the ones that need to get to a billion.

[basbash99]

But that would basically be the end of blockbuster movies, and not only the ones that need to get to a billion.

Guess it depends on definitions. Does 6 underground count as a blockbuster?

But in general, i agree.. .going forward, its just hard to see a path for blockbusters aside from A) govt providing subsidies to theaters to tide them over until a vaccine or B) letting the current chains go out of business and then letting disney, WB etc buy and run theaters on their own once a vaccine arrives (which i believe it is not legal, currently... that is, i don't thing studios can own movie theaters, some sort of anti-monopoly measure from way back when)

[Aahz]

Guess it depends on definitions. Does 6 underground count as a blockbuster?

Probably but did that made it's money back with streaming?

[titanfan]

Guess it depends on definitions. Does 6 underground count as a blockbuster?

But in general, i agree.. .going forward, its just hard to see a path for blockbusters aside from A) govt providing subsidies to theaters to tide them over until a vaccine or B) letting the current chains go out of business and then letting disney, WB etc buy and run theaters on their own once a vaccine arrives (which i believe it is not legal, currently... that is, i don't thing studios can own movie theaters, some sort of anti-monopoly measure from way back when)

It would be a "LOL No" for 6 Underground being a Blockbuster. It looked so cheaply made compared to a normal "big" action film.

[Aahz]

B) letting the current chains go out of business and then letting disney, WB etc buy and run theaters on their own once a vaccine arrives (which i believe it is not legal, currently... that is, i don't thing studios can own movie theaters, some sort of anti-monopoly measure from way back when)

I think that was changed recently, but the question is if they have the money to do that.