This is fairly dismal, potentially disastrous, news for movie theaters. In a new poll conducted by by Morning Consult on behalf of The Hollywood Reporter, many Americans are leery of returning to their local AMC or Cinemark when theaters do eventually reopen.
2200 people were polled and the results are not good. Only 7% of people are “very likely” to return to theaters immediately upon reopening, while 65% are “very unlikely.” Even looking two weeks beyond that, the numbers only change to 8% and 56%, and after a month, it’s 10% and 48%. At any point in 2020 – just 12% and 37%.
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If new, highly anticipated films such as Tenet and Mulan can’t lure movie fans back, the studios will be forced to think of new ways to bring in revenue. At the very least, reduce release windows between theaters and SVOD. Earlier this year, Universal released Trolls World Tour on SVOD in April and it passed the $100 million mark.
AMC and Cinemark were already approaching financial ruin before the pandemic. Now there they face backlash for enforcing the use of face masks.
SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter
