Coronavirus's impact on the worldwide box office 3 3

[Buzzetta]

 

5 minutes ago, the blob said:

it costs about as much as netflix. i watch netflix 10X as much, maybe more.

Oh, I am paying $3 and change per month for another two years. 

[Bosco685]

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Are the movies over? Not the art form itself, but the actual movie-going, sitting in a theater surrounded by strangers and popcorn, experience?

It's not hard to find social predictors who argue that it might be, thanks to the increasing number of movies that quickly hit streaming services and allowed you to watch in your family room, along with the growing numbers of films produced directly by — and for — services like Netflix.

Tara Lachapelle, who covers the entertainment business for Bloomberg, wrote: "We have learned to live without movie theaters. Even the ones that make it through the crisis may find that online-streaming apps have stolen away audiences for good."

Of course, many social predictors in other eras could not foresee live theater surviving once drama and comedy became available in movie form; nor that radio had a chance after a television set became a common part of the living room furniture. Art tends to adapt to circumstances; cave walls give way to canvas, but people keep on drawing.

Given that the genre of movies viewers were choosing to see in theaters before the pandemic had already tilted heavily toward comic book-dominated, hugely expensive blockbuster films, the safest bet is that studios will turn to even more of them for theatrical releases and steer their smaller, artier titles (the ones that tend to win the awards) toward streaming services after a brief release in the theater (in order to qualify for those trophies, of course).

Because of the pandemic, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences temporarily permitted movies to be submitted for Oscars even without any theatrical release. Many of this year's multiple nominees, like "Mank" and "Nomadland," did have very short runs in theaters before they were streaming into homes. "Mank," for example, is a Netflix production, and almost all its publicity was aimed to get Netflix subscribers to watch it there.

 

The pandemic has accelerated what was already a narrowing window between when films could be seen in theaters and when they could be viewed at home. Over the past year, next to no one — relatively speaking — has gone out to the movies. Box office returns in North America dropped from nearly $11.4 billion in 2019 to $2.2 billion in 2020.

That has only accelerated the throat-clenching in the business of running movie houses. Independent theaters were already barely surviving. The past year has essentially been a total loss for any company depending on ticket sales.
The question facing the film business now is whether this abandonment of the movie-house will be a temporary aberration forced by social distancing, or a sweeping lifestyle change. That conclusion may not be entirely clear until several of the big movie franchise films (the studios call them "tentpoles") give it a go in the theaters this summer. Will people still line up to see "F9" (the eighth sequel in the "Fast & Furious" franchise) in a theater on June 25 — assuming the start date is not put off again?

And what about "Top Gun: Maverick," which brings Tom Cruise's Pete Mitchell character back into the jet pilot seat? That's supposed to be unveiled July 2. (The original date was June 24, 2020.)

Those have always been the kind of hot summer movies that lured tens of millions from their homes (and the beach) to enjoy the full movie-going ritual: lines for tickets, full wallets ready to shell out for admission, a trough-size popcorn, vat-sized soda and bag of Twizzlers sufficient to feed a family of four; not to mention the chance that the only seats available will be in the front row, offering the extra bonus of back spasms as you hold your neck at a 60-degree angle.
Increasingly, there is another option, of course: Stay home and watch the film on a streaming service. In some cases, that could happen very close to the release date of the film, or even on the same day it arrives in theaters.

Warner Bros. sent many heads in the theater-owning business spinning when it announced that its full slate of 2021 releases would be available on WarnerMedia's streaming outlet, HBO Max, on the same date of their opening in theaters. (WarnerMedia is CNN's parent company.)

 

[piper]

18 hours ago, Bosco685 said:

 

The author makes an excellent point about what types of Movies may fare best at the theatre moving forward.

I don’t mind watching an Indy or critically acclaimed film at home on my 60” TV/Soundbar, but Top Gun 2, not so much. For the latter, I want big, loud, and bombastic.

We’ve cut down our Movie Theatre going since the Kids came along, but estimate that we went Pre pandemic 30 times per year. This included both the smaller independent theatres and Cineplex/IMAX type ones.

It will be interesting to see what transpires over the next 2 to 3 years...

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by piper

[Bosco685]

Just now, piper said:

The author makes an excellent point about what types of Movies may fare best at the theatre moving forward.

I don’t mind watching an Indy or critically acclaimed film at home on my 60” TV/Soundbar, but Top Gun 2, not so much. For the latter, I want big, loud, and bombastic.

We’ve cut down our Movie Theatre since the Kids came along, but estimate that we went Pre pandemic 30 times per year. This included both the smaller independent theatres and Cineplex/IMAX ones.

It will be interesting to see what transpires over the next 2 to 3 years...

 

Agreed! There are some movies that are just made to pop at the theater visually and sound-wise. Along with the audience reaction only enhancing the viewing experience.

But there are so many movies cranked out nowadays, streaming is probably the best and safest way to go after the events of the past year.

[piper]

8 minutes ago, Bosco685 said:

Agreed! There are some movies that are just made to pop at the theater visually and sound-wise. Along with the audience reaction only enhancing the viewing experience.

But there are so many movies cranked out nowadays, streaming is probably the best and safest way to go after the events of the past year.

I have to believe things will go back to normal! I’ve always been a fan of live events: concerts, movies, sporting events, theatre, and ... comic cons.

You would think that I saved a lot of money this year especially when you consider we didn’t travel. Instead, it went to Home Renos and hyper inflated comic books...

[Bosco685]

9 minutes ago, piper said:

I have to believe things will go back to normal! I’ve always been a fan of live events: concerts, movies, sporting events, theatre, and ... comic cons.

You would think that I saved a lot of money this year especially when you consider we didn’t travel. Instead, it went to Home Renos and hyper inflated comic books...

Some well-respected economist were saying on MSNBC the other night recognizing human desires and emotion once the vaccines are thoroughly distributed the expectation is there will be a big boom in many entertainment and food industries. Because people need all that social interaction and like a celebration of coming out the other end of this pandemic alive.

I could see the film industry strongly benefitting from this over time once people feel safe again.

[Bosco685]

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The U.K. public is keen to return to cinemas, a survey has found, with 59% of respondents citing the cinema as their most missed out-of-home entertainment activity.

 

A U.K.-wide survey commissioned by the Film Distributors’ Association and carried out by research agency Metrixlab also revealed that 40% of audiences are planning to return within the first few weeks after reopening and a further 36% within the first couple of months.

 

U.K. drive-in cinemas are currently due to reopen April 12 and indoor screens from May 17. The research shows that those who have digitally rented or purchased films over the past year are the most likely to return to cinemas as soon as they reopen.

 

[Bosco685]

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Arclight Cinemas, Pacific Theatres Will Close Permanently

 

Arclight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres will close down, a victim of a global pandemic that brought moviegoing to a standstill. The news comes as things were beginning to look up for the hard-hit exhibition industry and serves as a reminder of the economic devastation wrought by a public health crisis that upended cultural life.

 

“After shutting our doors more than a year ago, today we must share the difficult and sad news that Pacific will not be reopening its ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres locations,” the company said in a statement. “This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward.”

 

The closure means that some of the most prominent and popular movie theaters in the heart of the film industry will be shuttered, including the iconic Cinerama Dome, which has hosted movie premieres and had cameos in everything from “Melrose Place” to “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” The announcement resulted in paroxysms of grief across social media, as cinephiles, actors, and filmmakers like Gina Prince-Bythewood, Barry Jenkins and Elijah Wood weighed in on Twitter and other platforms to express their dismay that these marquees may remain dark even after COVID-19 abates.

 

“To all the Pacific and ArcLight employees who have devoted their professional lives to making our theaters the very best places in the world to see movies: we are grateful for your service and your dedication to our customers,” the company continued. “To our guests and members of the film industry who have made going to the movies such a magical experience over the years: our deepest thanks. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you.”

 

[D84]

10 hours ago, Bosco685 said:

 

When I lived in L.A., I went to the ArcLight for several screenings. It's the end of an era and not a good sign.

[media_junkie]

12 hours ago, Bosco685 said:

 

So how many theaters we talking about?  I've never heard of these outfits so I am going to assume it is more of a local thing.

[Bosco685]

1 hour ago, media_junkie said:

So how many theaters we talking about?  I've never heard of these outfits so I am going to assume it is more of a local thing.

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The two brands operated more than 300 screens in California, including the coveted Cinerama Dome in Hollywood.

 

In a blow for Southern California moviegoers — and those in Los Angeles in particular — the ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres are closing all of their 16 locations for good after seeing their business decimated by the pandemic.

 

ArcLight's stable includes the prized Cinerama Dome Hollywood. The Dome, built in 1963 by Pacific Theatres' parent company, the Decurion Corp., is the crown jewel of the small theater complex that was reconstructed in the early 2000s.Throughout the decades, the Dome in particular has been a favorite site to stage premieres — it timed its opening to the global launch of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World — and is beloved among many cinephiles.

[Bosco685]

The pandemic impact on WB may have opened new partnerships.

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Mr. Stuber: I think there are aspects of global distribution in the cinema that are still appealing. Chris Nolan [the director of “Inception,” “Dunkirk” and several Batman movies] and I have spoken quite a bit…and that’s still something he wants deeply. If we can’t provide that, it will still be an issue for him.

 

[paperheart]

US BO year to date vs 2019: down 88%, May & June should be somewhat better and then much better July-Dec.- maybe $5.5BB total for year

January 1 - May 2

Data as of May 2, 9:47 PDT

Year	Gross	vs 2021	vs 2020	vs 2019	vs 2018	vs 2017	vs 2016

2021	$431,760,630	-	-75.9%	-87.5%	-89%	-88.4%	-88%
2020	$1,789,281,643	+314.4%	-	-48.4%	-54.3%	-52%	-50.2%
2019	$3,464,134,795

[paperheart]

two more bite the (theatrical release) dust

[Bosco685]

 

[D84]

55 minutes ago, Bosco685 said:

 

That's sad because it was good.

[Bosco685]

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Pour one out for the 90-day theatrical window.

 

The decades-old staple of the film world slipped the surly bonds of Earth during COVID, perhaps the most consequential example of how the pandemic has upended the cinema business. The roughly three-month timeframe the industry calls the theatrical window, the longstanding agreement between Hollywood studios and theater owners about the length of time to play movies exclusively in cinemas, has officially been laid to rest.

 

After months of teetering precariously on the precipice, the final blow came on Thursday following Disney’s announcement that Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and the Ryan Reynolds’ action comedy “Free Guy” would screen in theaters for 45 days before landing on home entertainment.

 

Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek ascribed the studio’s post-pandemic approach of rolling out movies in theaters and on Disney Plus to “the relatively fluid nature of the recovery.” Now that the box office behemoth Disney has declared its post-pandemic terms, there’s no going back to the old ways of doing business.

 

Disney may have delivered the coup de grace, but it was not the first Hollywood studio to take a hammer to the theatrical window. Movie studios used the pandemic as an excuse to experiment with various release models for many of its biggest movies, most of which involved simultaneous debuts in theaters and on demand or streaming services. And theaters had no leverage to fight the changes.

 

[Bosco685]

Since he was stuck at home in the early days of the pandemic...

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While Zack Snyder may seem as if he’s on the outs with Warner Bros., his film 300 was the first made under Warner Bros. – which boasted a success for both. The Frank Miller and Lynn Varley adaptation grossed over $456 million around the world and even continued with 300: Rise of an Empire. Which, did underperform, but still – you can’t deny the impact 300 has had in film.

 

Snyder recently revealed he had written a third film during the pandemic, but that Warner Bros. shot the idea down:

 

“I just couldn’t really get my teeth into it. Over the pandemic, I had a deal with Warner Bros. and I wrote what was essentially going to be the final chapter in ‘300.’ But when I sat down to write it I actually wrote a different movie. I was writing this thing about Alexander the Great, and it just turned into a movie about the relationship between Hephaestion and Alexander. It turned out to be a love story. So it really didn’t fit in as the third movie.”

 

Snyder continued saying:

 

 “But there was that concept, and it came out really great. It’s called ‘Blood and Ashes,’ and it’s a beautiful love story, really, with warfare. I would love to do it, [WB] said no… you know, they’re not huge fans of mine. It is what it is.”

 

[Bosco685]

 

[Bosco685]

A sign of the times when you get an email from AMC about buying movie tickets, and the partnership noted is with Clorox.