Wow- Staggering figure- Movie Industry on the ropes

[packman]

The outlook is grim for the movie industry at the moment, with cinema closures and postponed movie releases causing seismic shifts in the movie calendar. Now we know the box office impact of those measures to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.

From March 20 to 26, the US box office made just $5K, according to Box Office Mojo (via Reddit user u/TheDankestMofo). The same time last year, that number was over $200 million.

The low figures make sense. By March 19, virtually all cinemas had shuttered in North America.

For the first quarter of 2020, the US box office dropped by 25% compared to last year, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That's a drop of $600 million.

James Bond, Mission Impossible 7 and Wonder Woman are among the movies whose releases or productions have been delayed due to the coronavirus. The setbacks have also seen many theaters struggle to stay afloat.

https://www.cnet.com/news/the-us-box-office-made-just-5k-over-the-last-week-in-march/

[Towlie]

1. The movie industry doesn't need to suffer, the theatre industry does.

They need to release movies online, or at least to the antiquated and obsolete DVD industry.

[exboyfil]

2. Not at $30 for a rental

That was the talk if Disney was going direct to streaming for Black Widow. At that price I am out of following my favorite franchise on 1st run. My next alternative is Redbox or library. I might pay $10 to rent a first run.

[thesquanderer]

11. From what I've read, $20 is likely to be the most common figure

Well, $19.99.

That's still cheaper than two tickets at a theater, to say nothing of three or four for a family, plus the gas to get there and back. And you can pause it when someone has to go the bathroom! Cheaper snacks, too.

Downside of course... no huge screen or zillion-speaker sound system.

[exboyfil]

13. Usually two viewers for when I go to movies

My daughter and myself. My wife has started watching SF/Super Hero films with us. Our tickets are $6/ea. (Saturday matinee). I don't have the $1K plus to put into a home system that would give us anything near the equivalent of a theater experience. I couldn't justify expensing it out. I don't watch sports except for some NFL games.

Artists were working on a poster for a $29.99 Black Widow first run streaming. I think Disney shelved it. The only have to see first run theater movies are ones with huge special effects budgets or time sensitive ones in which you want to see the next chapter or avoid spoilers. I will just wait for the normal cycle (down to $5 streaming, then $2.50 Redbox, and then to cheaper streaming or even the library).

[thesquanderer]

25. re: "only have to see first run theater movies are ones with huge special effects budgets"

Scorsese complained that the theaters were being overrun with superhero movies and the like... and I think you've put your finger on the reason that's happened. The movies people want to see in theaters are spectacles where the bigger screen and sound system really do give you an experience you can't quite get at home. It's not that people aren't interested in no-explosions no-space-travel intimate stories of depth anymore, it's just that people are perfectly content to wait to see those for less money at home. And of course, the companies want to make the movies that people want to shell out the bucks for to see in theaters.

If people really do get into the habit of watching "first run" movies at home, and the studios find that that's working for them, I wonder if that may prompt more diversity in releases, or a different balance.

[Towlie]

16. "Downside of course... no huge screen or zillion-speaker sound system."

Upsides:

A pause button
A volume control
Buttons to back up and replay, or watch the rest later
Subtitles
No noisy kids or crying babies
No kids with laser pointers
No person sitting near you who saw it already and yells "Ooh! Watch this! Watch this!"
No Mystery Science Theater 3000 wannabees in front of you
Nobody if front of you partially blocking the screen
Nobody next to you fighting you for possession of the armrest or behind you kicking your backrest, like when you're on an airplane

And finally, a "director's cut" version of the movie where the director was able to tell the complete story no matter how long it took, rather than a version that was cut short so that the theater could fit two showings into an evening.

[Baclava]

20. I am totally addicted to subtitles now, never realized I was missing half the movie dialog!

From mumbled lines to noisy soundtracks to thousand mile an hour whispered speech, give me my remote and I can replay anything I might have missed!

Big screen Ultra HD and my soundbar and sub-woofer can blast the sound loud as I want, shake the floor baby

[thesquanderer]

26. re: director's cut

If this goes on long enough, I wonder if they will indeed start creating "initial release" cuts that are not compromised for time, in those instances where it would otherwise happen.

More perks of viewing at home: floors that are not sticky, whatever food you feel like having, and clean, private bathrooms.

[Towlie]

33. There are good director cuts and bad director cuts.

An example of a good director's cut is Aliens, which includes good scenes about the colony before the alien invasion and more about the character Ripley, among many other things.

An example of a bad director's cut is Apocalypse Now, which includes a pointless sex scene with the Playboy bunnies and another at a French plantation, and an out-of-character scene where Captain Willard steals Colonel Kilgore's surfboard. Afterward the swift boat crew hide while the Colonel searches for them in his helicopter. In fact, in the regular cut you can see the surfboard behind Navy Chief Phillips, leaving you to wonder why it's there.

In the case of Apocalypse Now, the extended scenes seem like they were cut for good reason, but swept from the cutting room floor and stuffed back in.

[thesquanderer]

34. The Abyss was one where the extra footage really improved the film. (n/t)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

24. The "lack of a zillion-speaker sound system" is a bonus.

I need ear protection when I see some kind of action movie. It can get painful.

Sound? I have an old Sherwood amp and Sansui speakers wired to the tv. Those 12" woofers are enough to shake the house, if I care to turn them up.

Huge screen? Well, no, I just have to sit closer

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

30. Amazon Prime is offering some first-run movies

for $19.99 to rent. Personally, I'm not willing to pay twice what it would cost me at a theater, so I'll wait until they become a regular part of Netflix or Amazon.

[ancianita]

4. Why do you say that?

[rainbow4321]

15. My daughter works at a national theater chain's headquarters

Please don’t forget that there will be workers and their families who are/will suffer. She started out at an 80% paycheck and in 2 weeks it will be down to 20%. They will still be getting their healthcare bennies, though. Her s.o (live together) also works for that same company, different dept, and his check will be down to 50%.
Thank goodness they both got their tax refunds, both will get the stimulus checks. She said they will be “ok” til July. I’m gonna give her *my* stimulus check since I’m a nurse and am still working/getting paid.
She’s gonna apply for unemployment once her check drops to the 20% (20 hrs/week, working from home).

[cwydro]

21. Working at a theater was my first real job in high school.

I loved it.

I hope they get through this.

[rainbow4321]

27. She started out as a concession worker

Worked her way up to assistant manager..then after college graduation got a job at headquarters. Not many 25 yr olds get a 10 yr anniversary ring..but she did. Cuz she started w/ the company at 15 yrs old. It was an *amazing* job thru high school and college! Always got her hours in, very flexible with her school schedule.
I feel for the kids who work at the theater level. Like my daughter did, they no doubt use their checks to save for school. I’m sure they are having a loss of college funds, etc. Very sad thing!

[cwydro]

28. Yeah I was 15 also.

Loved movies, so it was a fantastic job.

Good for her for making it a career!

[ProfessorGAC]

31. My Wife Did That

Last couple years of high school
She loved it, as well.

[PJMcK]

29. Why does the theatre industry need to suffer? (n/t)

[panader0]

3. Drive-ins. I remember those days and those dates.

[cojoel]

8. drive-in dates

But this thread is about watching movies...

[OhZone]

5. Yeah -

Drive ins are a good idea.

But direct to streaming at a fair price would be great.

Maybe they need to invest in less expensive but better product.

[Sherman A1]

6. There will be a considerable shake out and tough times ahead for the entire industry.

as there will be for restaurants, brick & mortar retail and many others.

[lagomorph777]

7. Fewer theater-goers; more watch-at-homers.

They will have to push their streaming outlets.

[Initech]

9. This fucking virus is destorying everything it touches.

The sooner it is out of our lives and gone forever, the better.

[uponit7771]

18. S Korea acted and their movie industry isn't suffering like ours

[SammyWinstonJack]

23. Yes, tRump needs out of our lives, NOW! Fucking virus.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

10. One of my daughter's businesses relied heavily on the SoCal entertainment industry, especially film.

She had to shut it down a couple of weeks ago due to production cancellations extending into next year. In doing so she returned tens of thousands of dollars in deposits. Additionally the future of her other enterprises looks bleak.

[CTyankee]

32. Yeah, my daughter is head of Warner Brothers Studio's costume department. She says they're in

"pilot season" and usually so very busy, but not now. She works from home, tho.

[msongs]

12. most of what they make is junk but sad to see the job losses nt

[Progressive Law]

19. Back when Movie Pass was still amazing, I saw 1 movie per day. I had to walk out on 95% of them.

[MiniMe]

14. Even TV shows are in trouble

I sit here and think how can they produce TV shows with social distancing? The latest TV show I am addicted to is Manifest. I want to know what happens. Though last week, there were pieces of The Fugitive in the show.

[jmg257]

22. Live theater? Concerts? Sports venues? Industrials?

Debates? Conventions?

Thousands and thousands of good union jobs gone.

[Xolodno]

35. The ironic part....

...movies and movie theater's do well during recessions as people have to move to more inexpensive entertainment options.

But if you ask me, the theater's were already pricing themselves out of the market and cutting service levels to their own demise. Only time we go is for a Star Wars movie and Lord of the Rings (and the latter is obviously done), beyond that....we wait for it on digital or Blu-Ray. For the Rise of Skywalker, we were waiting a full 20 minutes in line to buy way overpriced popcorn and soda...the movie was about to start so we said fuck it, got out of line and grabbed our seats. Lost revenue and profit for them.