The Long Halloween Movie Called Corona

Imagine a movie opening scene of a panoramic shot of a large city, panning the eerie horizon at dilapidated rooftops and slowly descending to the quiet and empty streets with no single person in sight, the gust of wind carrying a newspaper along the cobblestones, and a random barking of a dog heard in the far distance. Similar varying scenes are shown of all the capital cities on the planet and for some brief moment, it becomes evident that something horrible has gone awry, the world has stopped in its tracks. A single dark figure, almost like death itself, dressed in full protective equipment, trench coat, hood, and a mask is sanitizing a gloomy street crossing - end scene. Of course, it is not an imaginary movie scene, it is exactly what has happened and it all just seems like a terrifying and never-ending Nightmare on Every Street.

It goes without saying that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the film industry in 2020. Across the world to varying degrees, cinemas have been closed for extended periods of time, film releases and film festivals have been postponed to future dates or delayed indefinitely. Due to movie theaters closing, the global box office has dropped dramatically and has made streaming more popular than ever. Tens of thousands of jobs within the industry are in jeopardy as film productions are halted, some already lost due to cost-cutting efforts to keep business afloat. It is difficult to see any silver linings in this scenario.

In September 2020, Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman Tony Vinciquerra stated that the company will not release any big-budget films to theaters until the pandemic is over. Shortly after this October 2nd came and the postponement of Bond No Time to Die was announced to April 2, 2021, reportedly due to a requirement of having a worldwide theatrical audience. With the rise of streaming content, the lure to release movies direct to video-on-demand has become painstakingly commonplace with such titles as Artemis Fowl, Mulan, and Trolls World Tour. In defense of this practice, various associations of theater owners have widely opposed and discouraged film distributors from pushing titles directly online to customers. AMC Theaters CEO Adam Aron was specifically against Universal's Trolls movie release online and threatened to ban all Universal Pictures films, but later made a revenue share agreement between the two film industry behemoths allowing the distributor the option to release a film to premium video on demand after a minimum of 17 days in its theaters.

In order to avoid this article getting too morose, it deserves to be said that this horror movie, which is Corona, will have its end like any other film. Though the industry is struggling for its very existence, many movie theaters and cinemas have already opened their doors and devising alternate plans alongside less-known movie titles to dispel the Hollywood premiere blockade by offering their patrons with experiences one can only have in theaters i.e. the feeling of being together through theme nights, sports, standup, music and much other innovative content.

Not very many of us understand the economic implications of what aspires as patrons begin their journey back to the theaters. In a recent blog post by Finland's biggest movie theater chain Finnkino, it was stated that over a million people had bought tickets to the cinemas in the space of just four months (June through October) - in essence, this means 12 million euros in ticket sales in addition to snacks purchased, which greatly adds to the bottom line and alleviates the great pain of the movie theater industry. According to research, not only do people spend money on cinematic amenities, but 650.000 cinema visitors also went to a restaurant, 400.000 visited a brick-and-mortar store, 300.000 drove their cars to the cinemas where the rest of them used public or other transport services. Thousands were employed from the simple choice of going back to the cinemas for delicious buttery popcorn and an entertaining movie.

Let's conclude with a movie ending scene where streets are filled with streams of customers meandering shops, running errands, enjoying a well deserved night out at the movies safely distancing and protecting themselves, and enjoying the comfortable bustle of the city. Soon the Nightmare on Every Street will be over. Cinemas and movie theaters up and running again, popcorn smell will fill the air, and theaters will welcome couch-ridden patrons to comfortable seats and to a great experience at the movies. It's already happening, however, many more need to be woken up to the new dreams of what could be.

When do you think we will be able to go back to the movie theaters? Please comment below or send me a DM.