It isn’t just theater owners that are scared for the future of their businesses, as studios continue to delay films from 2020 into 2021 and beyond. Filmmakers, also, are very concerned about what the future if the industry might be like after cinemas continue to struggle and folks like Cineworld (parent company to Regal) have decided to voluntarily close down once again. And though Patty Jenkins’ upcoming “Wonder Woman 1984” is slated for a Christmas release this year, the director is still really concerned that this industry-wide problem could have catastrophic lasting effects.
Speaking to Reuters (via Variety), Jenkins said that she believes theaters closing down right now “will not be a reversible process.” She sees this as a sign that theater-going, as we knew it before the COVID-19 pandemic, will never be the same
“We could lose movie theater-going forever,” said Jenkins.
Expanding on her doom-and-gloom assessment, she likens the theatrical release business to what we saw with the music industry at the turn of the century. During that time, we saw the advent of streaming music and downloadable songs take a thriving music industry and cripple it in record time. Before anyone even saw it happening.
“It could be the kind of thing that happened to the music industry, where you could crumble the entire industry by making it something that can’t be profitable,” the filmmaker explained.
She added, “I don’t think any of us want to live in a world where the only option is to take your kids to watch a movie in your own living room, and not have a place to go for a date.”
Obviously, the situation facing theaters right now is a lot bigger than a lack of interest in going to the movies. The general public isn’t convinced indoor cinemas are safe from COVID. In addition, theaters are working with reduced capacities, which limits the number of films that can be shown. And now, we have studios not providing new content for cinemas, forcing Regal and others to shut down.
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Jenkins, for her part, believes that maybe “Wonder Woman 1984” can be the movie that helps usher in the new wave of films coming to theaters this Christmas. However, many analysts believe it’s only a matter of time before that film gets delayed…yet again. But for the filmmaker, she would love nothing more than to have the film that helps relaunch theaters again.
“I really hope that we are able to be one of the very first ones to come back and bring that into everyone’s life,” she said.
As with everything associated with the pandemic and its effect on the film industry, this is a situation that is constantly changing. So, definitely don’t clear your schedule for “Wonder Woman 1984” on Christmas Day. You may find yourself disappointed.