Photo of AMC courtesy of Wikimedia.
By DALTON GRIJALVA
Even though movie theaters across the country are closed, the show must go on.
Many believe that movie-viewing would transition to mainly streaming in the near future. The virus has sped up that process. Many movies scheduled for March and April releases have been pushed back to later dates in the fall.
Big titles such as “Trolls 2,” “Onward” and “Birds of Prey” made the switch to streaming services or video on demand (VOD). The switch comes as no surprise to families that are stuck in doors.
The real question is whether this be the new status quo once the pandemic is over.The answer is complicated, to say the least. Studios are missing out on box office revenue.
Many theaters aren’t profiting from concessions and are struggling not to file for bankruptcy. AMC is currently in talks to hire a bankruptcy law firm. Experts predict it is expected to burn through its cash by midsummer.
Many independent theaters such as the Loft could feel this impact the most.
With releases such as Netflix’s Oscar-caliber movies, “The Irishman” and “Marriage Story,” you might think movie theaters are well on their way to becoming obsolete.
This is where movie magic comes in. If TV, VHS and DVD/Blu-ray couldn’t keep theaters from dying, then this is a little bit of Murphy’s Law for theaters.What will be interesting is exactly how much faster movies might come to streaming after they’re released.
Going out to the movies is an experience one that’s shared by families, friends and couples. It often doesn’t matter if a movie is good or bad. What matters is the feeling you get when you enter and leave the venue and everything in between.
One solution that maintains social distancing but keeps the magic of going to the movies? Bring back drive-ins.
Friday, April 19
