Is the Death of Movie Theaters Near?
By Tess Farrand, Associate Content Editor
Though movie theaters are slowly reopening, not many people are ready to head to the big screens just yet.
“Our owner’s philosophy is that we want to give the community something to do,” Rick Moser of Coral Cliffs Cinema 8 in Hurricane, Utah, told Variety. “We are going to lose money whether we’re open or not, so we figure we might as well be open.”
While independent theaters may be reopening, major chains like Regal, AMC and Cinemark cannot commit to an opening date just yet.
Regal said via Instagram, “At this time, we have not made a decision when to reopen. We continue to work with authorities and studios in order to host our audiences and show them the big blockbusters in a safe environment. As soon as we have an opening date, we will share.”
Though many movie theaters planned to open by the end of the summer, the pandemic could place that on hold.
Vulture reported, “The theatrical-release window has been shrinking in recent years, but theater owners are determined to preserve it. They have a strong ally in many filmmakers, who want their work seen in the best and most remunerative possible conditions.”
Vulture added that the mystery/vulnerability of the audience are perhaps just what has kept the theaters alive for so long in history.
“Live theater thrives on the unpredictability and impermanence of what’s happening onstage; the performers operate in an aura of both power and vulnerability,” Vulture continued. “In movie theaters, that sense of vulnerability is transferred to the audience. That is some of the source of cinema’s wonder, and it’s also the source of, historically, some of its fear. ”
Currently, Hollywood movies like Christopher Nolan’s TENET and Disney’s MULAN are the first to hit the theater docket in July. The results of screenings will be telling for future theater screenings.
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