News Round Up 2020

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

How exactly are movie theaters going to exist in 2022? I'm still hard pressed to understand this when there wont be anything worth seeing in one until mid 2021.

This is what I'm concerned about. It's a circle here. The movie companies don't think there will be enough profit so they are pushing off these movies to hope for a better chance at one, BUT, the movie theater chains are struggling to get movies to even be available and there's only so much interest in older movies and only so many older movies you can come up with that might entice people to come out so it's possible the movie companies could put the theater industry under just by continuing to push these movies out further and further. I sure hope not but it does make me quite concerned about the future of the theater industry

 

[MrsBooch]

Also, the Regal theater closing is pretty massive. I actually wonder if they’re ever going to reopen.

I said the same thing earlier today when the news broke - I'm not sure how they come back from this - at least not to the scale that they've operated previously.

I'm not super sure how this works but don't they make a lot of $$ from being able to show movies from the production company or something? And since movies are being delayed - even if you feel comfy sitting in a dark, socially distanced theater, the viewing options will be slip pickings. I don't know - How do they do it?

 

[afan]

Yeah, Dune moved to Batman’s original release date in October 2021.

Also, the Regal theater closing is pretty massive. I actually wonder if they’re ever going to reopen.

There's a lot of places they've never reopened though either. They haven't in WA, and I doubt they have in Oregon and I"m sure they haven't in California. So while closing is bad, I also don't know how they thought they could do much without all of them open.

I've no issue with seeing an older movie in the theatre if it's one that makes sense, but I'm also not in a hurry for our theatres to open up.

This may end up saving some of the smaller, non chain theatres. There's a great single screen one in Kannapolis, NC that I enjoyed going to when I lived there. They still showed a Bugs Bunny cartoon before the movie. There used to be one in the town next to me but it's either being torn down or refurbished, I'm not sure what's going on with the building but something's happening to it.

 

[CastAStone]

I said this several months ago on the topic of movie theaters and bankruptcies and I stand by it. SOMEONE will run Regal’s cinemas when things get back to normal. It just may not be the current owners.

Someone will buy them out of bankruptcy if it comes to that. The industry is so consolidated that a number of cities would have effectively no multiplexes without AMC. Whenever things are normal again, whether in 2021 or 2024, AMC will continue to make sense as a business. Until then they need an owner with cash and patience and landlords with even more patience. But it’s not like a lot of those landlords have better options for that real estate right now, as retail chains and restaurants close stores left and right.

 

[bbmassey]

How exactly are movie theaters going to exist in 2022? I'm still hard pressed to understand this when there wont be anything worth seeing in one until mid 2021.

hint: They won't.

Somewhere movie production executives have realized the opportunity COVID has given them to remove the middle man. When the theaters go under and are forced to sell assets, they will have the capital reserve to purchase what is left. They see victory in the COVID waiting game. We are one step closer to Disney film theaters. Any rules against it will make no sense to "save" the industry. They will laugh all the way to the bank.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

How exactly are movie theaters going to exist in 2022? I'm still hard pressed to understand this when there wont be anything worth seeing in one until mid 2021.

hint: They won't.

I feel like there is potential for the entire model to change. Whether it means going all the way to the studios owning the theaters, I am not sure, but something needs to change. Maybe it becomes that theater chains are like networks that bid on properties. So Regal would win the bidding for Marvel and have exclusive rights to those movies.

I think, at a minimum, theaters are going to become more and more about providing an experience, not just a way to watch a movie. In the future, if you just want to watch a movie I think vast majority of the time it will be done by VOD at your home. But if you want a full night out then you would go to a theater - but they will have full restaurants and bars, maybe live entertainment in the lobby, things like that. Obviously some theaters already are going int hat direction, but I think it becomes the norm, not the exception

And I think there will be fewer of them in general and reserved for more special occasisons.

 

[OSUZorba]

How exactly are movie theaters going to exist in 2022? I'm still hard pressed to understand this when there wont be anything worth seeing in one until mid 2021.

hint: They won't.

That's what bankruptcy is for. Either they will reorganize in Chapter 11, transferring all of their shares from current shareholders to the debt holders. Or they will liquidate in Chapter 7 and investors will buy up the good locations for pennies on the dollar. Either way, marginal locations will likely close forever.

The buildings and equipment won't go away, so even if the current corporation do, someone else can easily step in and take it over when things get back to normal.

 

[OSUZorba]

This is what I'm concerned about. It's a circle here. The movie companies don't think there will be enough profit so they are pushing off these movies to hope for a better chance at one, BUT, the movie theater chains are struggling to get movies to even be available and there's only so much interest in older movies and only so many older movies you can come up with that might entice people to come out so it's possible the movie companies could put the theater industry under just by continuing to push these movies out further and further. I sure hope not but it does make me quite concerned about the future of the theater industry

The movie companies should allow any of their catalog to be shown right now. There are a lot of old movies they could cycle through, yet they only have a couple classics and they are the same ones that have been showing for months.

 

[The Pho]

I said this several months ago on the topic of movie theaters and bankruptcies and I stand by it. SOMEONE will run Regal’s cinemas when things get back to normal. It just may not be the current owners.

I don’t think the main concern should be theater chains disappearing altogether, i think it’s them trimming down. This is Regal acknowledging that the year is lost. When they reopen, I doubt all the theaters will reopen. And it’s much less likely for somebody to come along and purchase those locations, as they would be their worst performers. And we are still quite a while away from theaters getting back to normal, those spring releases may still have issues.

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1313457876405547009

 

[TheMaxRebo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1313457876405547009

Everyone: can't wait to see some sign of returning to normal

Disney: welp, you asked for it ....

Everyone: no, not like that!

 

[andyw715]

So with Mulan on D+ does that preclude it from being screened in the theaters?
NC just moved to Phase 3 which allows limited theater seating. You would think that Mulan would show up in these newly opened theaters to see how demand plays out.

 

[scrappinginontario]

So with Mulan on D+ does that preclude it from being screened in the theaters?
NC just moved to Phase 3 which allows limited theater seating. You would think that Mulan would show up in these newly opened theaters to see how demand plays out.

It hasn't been that way in other locations. Our movie theatres have been open for about 6 or 8 weeks and Mulan is not playing. I'm not aware of Mulan playing in any Canadian theatres. Is it playing in any US theatres?

 

[rteetz]

News

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...-to-close-for-brief-refurbishment-next-month/
No Frozen Ever After for me I guess

 

[skeeter31]

So with Mulan on D+ does that preclude it from being screened in the theaters?
NC just moved to Phase 3 which allows limited theater seating. You would think that Mulan would show up in these newly opened theaters to see how demand plays out.

Correct. Its only in theaters in areas that don’t have Disney+. In the US, since it’s on Disney+, no theaters.

 

[Tigger's ally]

News

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...-to-close-for-brief-refurbishment-next-month/
No Frozen Ever After for me I guess

If it weren't for my grandtinker going with us in December, I would gladly visit Norway for the beer and keep walking to China for another beer skipping FEA altogether. Maelstrom always had my ear.

 

[jknezek]

If it weren't for my grandtinker going with us in December, I would gladly visit Norway for the beer and keep walking to China for another beer skipping FEA altogether. Maelstrom always had my ear.

I agree. FEA is no doubt beautiful and the animatronics are amazing. The line itself is worth the experience. However, Maelstrom was unique and appropriate and, in true Old EPCOT fashion, as educational as it was entertaining if you took the time to really appreciate it.

FEA is simply an updated and enjoyable dark ride, Maelstrom was so much more.

 

[firefly_ris]

News

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...-to-close-for-brief-refurbishment-next-month/
No Frozen Ever After for me I guess

Would be nice if they took some time to fill in some of the expanse of blank black walls with something visual but 4 days isn't gonna cut for something like that.

 

[MissGina5]

Rumor is some type of goat. It’s unclear though.

Wait they didn't get rid of the Okapi did they?!

 

[rteetz]

Wait they didn't get rid of the Okapi did they?!

No