'Dune' ditches 2020, while AMC commits to staying open

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

‘Dune’ ditches 2020, while AMC commits to staying open

By LINDSEY BAHR
October 6, 2020

The 2020 theatrical release calendar is getting even slimmer in the wake of the announcement that Regal cinemas are temporarily closing, although AMC, North America’s largest theater chain, says it will remain open.

Warner Bros. said late Monday that its sci-fi pic “Dune” will now open in October 2021, instead of this December. The studio also pushed back “The Batman” to March 2022 and moved up its “Matrix” sequel to Dec. 2021.

AMC Entertainment reiterated its commitment to stay open and cited a slew of upcoming new releases that it will be playing, including this weekend’s new films “The War With Grandpa,” with Robert De Niro, and “Yellow Rose.” Roughly 80% of its U.S. locations are currently open.

With the recent exit of the next James Bond film, that leaves a mere handful of big films set to still open in 2020: Pixar’s “Soul,” on Nov. 20, Universal’s “The Croods: A New Age,” on Nov. 25, Disney’s “Death on the Nile,” on Dec. 18 and Warner Bros.’ “Wonder Woman 1984,” at Christmas. It’s an extra hit to the ailing theatrical industry, which endured six months of closures and has had a difficult time restarting business during the pandemic with key markets like New York still closed and an ever-changing release calendar.

Business has been so shaky that on Monday Cineworld Group Plc said it would temporarily close its 536 Regal cinema locations in the U.S. and 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse venues in the U.K. on Thursday. And last week leading groups representing movie theaters, movie studios and directors issued a dire plea to Congress for financial help for cinemas. They said nearly 70% of small and mid-size theaters could face bankruptcy or closure without assistance.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-archive-robert-de-niro-e6c36580ce1d8024cecfc7739d1bb39c

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. One would think that animated movies would be the easiest to release

While the anime industry has been hit hard, it is still putting out material on a regular basis.

[exboyfil]

2. They have lots of live action in the can

and it appears they have protocols in place to protect production crews which can be pretty isolated during a shoot anyway.

I think I see several issues:

1. The fact that most of California and New York is still shut down from showing movies. That is on the state and local governments.
2. The public is not ready to go back given the protocols in place (masks, social distancing) as well as the risk.
3. I think the public has also gotten out of the habit of going to movies.
4. The offerings so far (The New Mutants and Tenet) haven't been that appealing to the audience. The sound issues on Tenet should have been corrected. Folks are going to closed an open captioned theaters because of it.
5. The protocols have driven higher theater prices in my area. That along with the protocols makes seeing marginal movies like The New Mutants and Tenet even less desirable.


I would go to see Dune now (that is the movie I am most excited about). Maybe Black Widow even though I am not that excited about it. Nothing else coming up really appeals to me right now. I feel there the MCU arc has been completed. I haven't been excited about Bond in many years. DCEU has come up with some good movies lately, but I don't have the same excitement about them because they aren't advancing an arc.

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. I built a really nice theater room in 2005 and haven't been to a theater since

Return of the King. It's just such a letdown when the sound in my home is better than what's at the theater.

[exboyfil]

4. The problem will be that a Paid View on Demand model

will not generate the same revenue as the current theater model. So if the model collapses, you won't be getting nearly as many big budget movie franchise entries like LOTR, MCU, Bond, DCEU, etc.

If the production companies continue to PVOD there big budget movies already completed or into production, then they will not get the anticipated payment (in many cases even losing money). The investors will opt out. Actors and productions crews will lose future opportunities to work. Also we miss out on those movies.

There is also an economy built around attending movies. The theater, the concession suppliers, the malls and foot traffic, and surrounding restaurants and bars.

Movies in the theaters are a huge part of the economy. $11B in tickets in 2019. I got to think the concession sales are in the $3-$5B range.