But will the bet pay off for these rapidly evolving studios?
Los Angeles, United States:
After more than three months of coronavirus-imposed limbo, Hollywood returns to the big screen – and hopes that Russell Crowe’s road rage thriller “Unhinged” will kick-start the recovery.
The action movie, which will be released on July 10, is expected to be the first major release since US cinemas closed in mid-March. Christopher Nolan’s highly publicized “Tenet” will follow soon after.
But will the bet pay off for these rapidly evolving studios?
While major theater chains across the country plan to turn on their projectors in the first half of July, the hard-hit New York and Los Angeles screens are not yet allowed to reopen.
And even with the widening of social distancing and sanitation measures, the enthusiasm of moviegoers to crowd in dark and closed rooms in the middle of a possible “second wave” of virus cases can fluctuate.
AMC, the world‘s largest theater chain, caused a sensation by initially refusing to mandate facial masks, saying it did not want to be “drawn into political controversy”.
He flip-flopped on this policy Friday after an outcry.
Everyone, from independent distributors to successful studios, will be watching carefully to see how the new theatrical release experience unfolds.
“Hollywood is not a place where competitors are known to often wish one another,” said “Unhinged” producer Mark Gill.
“And in this particular circumstance, everyone hopes that we will succeed.”
His film resisted the industry trend, shifting its release date forward from September, as the biggest studios engulfed all of the main opening slots more deeply in 2020.
Solstice Studios has decided that the lack of new titles in competition and the shortage of other entertainment such as major sporting events outweighs the danger of falling early – which is in any case reduced for a 33 million film. medium budget dollars.
“The more we watch it, it is risky of course, but it seems to be worth it,” Gill told AFP.
‘Worth the risk’
“Someone had to go first – it’s definitely worth it,” said Jeff Bock, senior analyst for exhibitor relations for the industry tracker. “But I think the odds are against.”
While the decision to open “Unhinged” early generated buzz – his trailer drew 210 million views in a week – his studio pockets are less deep than those of his rivals in terms of marketing, he said. he noted.
But “Unhinged” is really a “setup for other studios,” he added, noting that the real litmus test will be the first major studio titles, including Warner Bros. ‘Tenet’, more than $ 200 million. dollars, July 31.
Nolan – his influential director who is best known for “Inception”, “Dunkirk” and the Batman trilogy “Dark Knight” – pushed his ambitious and secret sci-fi thriller to stay firm with his first theatrical release.
Yet it has recently been pushed back two weeks, giving the New York and Los Angeles screens breathing space to reopen them.
Disney’s “Mulan” is also slated for July – shortly after the reopening of Disney World and Disneyland – although some analysts predict that it could still be changed to a niche later if families are still nervous about it. idea of going to the movies.
“Word of mouth will now be based not specifically on movies that are really good, but on theaters that follow all the guidelines,” said Bock.
‘You are dead’
The dangers of skipping the weapon were highlighted in China, where theaters in several provinces reopened optimistically in late March, before closing again a few days later.
The capital, Beijing, is currently experiencing a new COVID-19 outbreak, which has prompted authorities to lock down parts of the city.
If new epidemics hit the screens in the United States, “theaters will close very quickly, and for a very long time thereafter,” Bock predicted.
These concerns were evident in Los Angeles on Friday when bars and tattoo parlors were allowed to reopen – but theaters, in particular, were not.
Still, Gill is focusing on the tens of thousands of empty theaters that want to reopen across the country, but with nothing new to show – and no certainty that audiences will want to return.
“You can have open cinemas and a good movie and be on your own and do everything right,” he said. “But if no one comes, you’re dead.”
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
