A lot of talk is happening these days with regard to movies, and theaters, and we wanted to just touch base on it.
Why Are Movie Theaters Closing?
Through depressions and a weak economy, theaters have always soared, because the American people have needed an escape from the downtrodden experiences of regular life. It’s a great and cheap escape, and well needed by the majority of experiences.
- Movie theaters do not make the entire ticket price for movies sold. I mean, duh right? Typically theaters earn around 50% of ticket prices, or more depending on their bargaining power with theaters. As the movie stays in theaters longer, the theater collects a larger percentage with some theaters making around 70% of the ticket price in the last week in theaters. It’s the reason theaters are so against movies entering Video on Demand so quickly after release, see our article about the fight Here, as it directly impacts a major source of their profits.
The major place that movie theaters makes their profits however, is usually not in Ticket price, but in concession stand sales.
- While people need escapes, the idea of grouping together in a room to watch a film in the dark is still a scary concept right now. The aerosol particles expelled by a contaminated, but not sympton showing victim of the pandemic can stay in the air for hours, and personal use of a mask is only 30% effective of preventing transmission, if the contaminated person does not wear a mask.
Additionally, with the allowance to let people eat food in theaters, it’s hard to force movie goers to wear a mask. Without concessions though, theaters don’t make that much money to keep their doors open, and their buildings staffed.
- Some theaters would like you to believe that is the case. They aren’t wrong to say that it’s a factor, but it’s hard to blame one venue. Some of the biggest markets for movies are Los Angeles, and even more so New York. Both liberal states, with democratic law makers, who have actively attempted to impose heavy restrictions in the hopes to curb the spread of the pandemic. With that in mind, Los Angeles only recently allowed theaters to open, and New York has still not allowed them to, stating that they are not worth the risk of transmission.
With New York not running their projectors, studios have been hesitant to launch their movies. While Tenant decided to, their box office was still miniscule then what it would have been if released in a healthy economy without a pandemic.
We don’t want to blame Governor Andrew Cuomo though for wanting to keep his residents safe, no matter how much the theaters and studios might, there is no guarantee that the audience would return for the risk.
Without profits, and a way to share their films, no amount of drive in experiences are going to fit the needs of the entertainment industry with their big budget films. Causing movies like The Batman, No Time To Die, and many more to be pushed back until the pandemic is over.
As theaters can’t weather the storm, it’s understandable that Regal would shut down and close all their businesses in the USA and the United Kingdom.
So Where Will I See My Films Now?
Well don’t be to scared, while we had many choices in theaters, you have even more choices in Video on Demand, Bill and Ted Face the Music, see our article on Here, was released at the same time on Amazon Video, Apple TV, FandangoNow, Microsoft/Xbox, Vudu, Frontier, Google Play, Kaleidescape, Sony, Verizon, and even more!
While you won’t have the same experience of enjoying a movie with a group of like minded people, you also won’t be annoyed by the idiotic actions of an inconsiderate movie goer. If you hate the at home experience, don’t worry, there are still drive-in theaters running showings around the globe, and I wouldn’t be surprised if theaters return once the pandemic is over, in a new and better form.
You just might have to upgrade your home viewing experience if you want a great experience for now. May we suggest checking out our video on the best TV’s of this year’s CES?
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