The latest James Bond, the Marvel film Black Widow and the remake of science fiction classic Dune. All of them would appear in theaters this year, but due to the corona crisis, the premieres have been postponed until next year.
All these shifts lead to great uncertainty in the film world. This is how Cineworld, the second largest cinema chain in the world, made announced this week that all approximately 650 cinemas in Great Britain, Ireland and the United States will close indefinitely starting this weekend.
Fat on the bones
Dutch cinemas are also struggling, although they are in better shape than those of Cineworld, thinks director Gulian Nolthenius of the Dutch Association of Cinemas and Film Theaters (NVBF). Almost all 300 cinemas in the Netherlands are affiliated with the association. “We have had very good years. Most cinemas had more fat on their bones as a result, but that has now disappeared due to the crisis situation.”
Partly thanks to the support of the government, most movie theaters can still show it this year, Nolthenius expects. Until now, the curtain fell for only one cinema, “there was corona the final blow”.
But the recent tightening of the rules – there are only 30 visitors allowed in the cinema – creates new problems. The NVBF expects a drop in turnover of 70 percent in the last quarter of this year. “And if that continues, cinemas will collapse from next year.”
The postponement of big movies like James – No Time To Die – Bond certainly does not help. Nolthenius emphasizes that there are still enough new films to be seen.
Cinema or Netflix?
The director of the American movie Wonder Woman is less positive. Patty Jenkins, who has already postponed the premiere of the second part of the superhero film three times, is afraid that studios in Hollywood will soon no longer want to invest in cinema films. She fears that they will instead focus on productions for streaming services such as Netflix and Disney +.
But according to film journalist Nico van den Berg, things will not go that fast. “The whole industry is built around the world to release a movie in theaters,” he explains. “This is especially true for blockbusters. The costs of such a film can be as much as 200 million dollars. That is not profitable with a streaming model.”
Vulnerable system
Film scientist Dan Hassler-Forest adds that cinemas have an important publicity function. “And they are part of the nightlife. The cinema is not only a building to see a movie, but also a place to gather, to chat.”
He does think that the system in its current form is vulnerable. “Cinema operators have become increasingly dependent on major Hollywood productions or franchises with endless sequels. Think of Harry Potter and the Marvel series.”
Pathé, the largest chain in the Netherlands with 27 cinemas, says that despite the postponement of a number of major titles, there are still enough films to be released and made. “And we always have a broad film program, with specials such as Lord of the Rings and documentaries. This makes us less dependent on big blockbusters like Cineworld in the US. “
Football fans can now also watch Eredivisie matches live in some Pathé cinemas:
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