No matter who you believe, whether it’s the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) saying theaters are being destroyed by streaming or perhaps studios trying to explain how streaming and theatrical release models will benefit everyone involved, the truth is that the theatrical experience is changing in a big way. And some, like John David Washington, are concerned about the survival of the big screen experience.
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Speaking at the Locarno Film Festival (via Variety), where his new film, “Beckett,” is having its world premiere, John David Washington talked about the feature and why the festival experience has him worried about the future of the industry.
“When I think about ‘Beckett,’ I think of survival and that’s very personal to me,” said Washington. “Part of the reason we’re all here tonight is survival of the theatrical experience, so that’s what connected me to it.”
These comments came on the heels of Locarno festival president Marco Solari saying, “We shall never surrender,” echoing the famous words of Winston Churchill and vocalizing his stance on protecting the theatrical distribution model.
Clearly, European film festivals have been adamant in their support of the theatrical experience. And while streaming has become such a ubiquitous commodity in North America (and the rest of the world), we’ve seen filmmakers from Europe, as well as actors and others involved in the business, come out to issue warnings about the theatrical experience could be on the verge of collapse.
Though that might be a bit of hyperbole, we have seen the pandemic cripple the theatrical release model over the past year-and-a-half and it’s becoming more and more clear that studios are looking at alternative distribution methods. And because of this, folks are concerned about cinemas going under en masse.
That said, you can’t deny the irony of Washington making these comments while promoting “Beckett,” which is being released on Netflix on August 13. But obviously, the sentiment still stands. Theaters are hurting, and as film fans, we obviously are hoping for a speedy recovery.