AMC theaters will no longer show Universal movies

The problem isn't reality, it's mind set. Right now, everywhere, people are now in the mindset of being uncomfortable in close packed spaces. You can't profitably run a movie theater with 1/4th maximum occupancy.

I can't see that appreciably changing until either immunity testing and/or a vaccine are widely available. Immunity testing is much more likely to be the first to be available. Then, areas that let people roam free first are going to be at a dramatic advantage, since their core immunity will be far larger. Until we reach beyond herd immunity, the at risk population (elderly, risk factors) are not going back to theaters. This population is irrelevant to a Trolls movie, but if you have an indie "talker," you might as well just release it direct to video now, because a good portion of your core audience is not coming, even if theaters reopoen.

 

Exactly, I'm not going near a movie theater unless the virus has been totally irradiated. It's not a necessity worth risking my life or my loved ones over.

 

The problem is, theaters aren't showing GOOD MOVIES like the one illustrating that article. Yowza!

 

Well I think Universal are completely out of order and the cinema chains have every right to ban their films. Universal can't just change the window like this, why do they want to do this and potentially destroy the cinemas?

 

One counter argument that's been thrown out there is that they were too deep into the marketing campaign for Trolls to push a theatrical release months down the road and have to restart everything, not sure I buy it though.

 

I think the chains would have forgiven them for Trolls, but Universal announcing, without consultation, that future releases would be streamed at the same time is the main issue. That changes the basic relationship between studios and chains.

 

That much is true...

Good points entirely. Teens and young people are not house bound by nature. They never have been.

All one has to do is to look at the type of movies that the studio's have been releasing in general to tell what demographic they are after.

Your age group will continue to go to movie theaters for this reason.

Also, you are correct that your group does not have the money nor the space for an expensive HT set up.

Things are different today for your generation, when compared to life back in the 60's.

Your society is more mobile and most younger people today don't have stereos with speakers (unless they are small portable Bluetooth speakers.

While it was no doubt the right movie and the right time, being the circumstances as you have accutately described them, I also have little doubt that things are changing.

An example of that, is ordering food from traditional sit down restaurants and having it delivered.

It is more convient and avoids all of the hassle and bother of going out to a restaurant.

One thing that does happen in a quarantine situation like this, is that people do learn to adapt to lifestyle changes.

If the government lifted all official restrictions tomorrow, there will be those who are going to elect to dtsy home.

They will elect to order a digital first run movie rather than having to go through a movie going experience.

The media has people afraid of their own shadows. People are afraid to go out to movie theaters.

When people are afraid of possibly risking their lives to go to a theater to see a movie, they are going to think nothing of paying $20 to stay home and watch the movie in their safe personal space.

Prople all around me that also have been out of a job for now seven weeks, have been conserving their resources.

They are not going to be very keen to go out and spend $10-$15 on movie tickets and another $10 or so on popcorn and a soda.

People who have been without work will just now only begin to start going back to work and that is only in areas that are opening up now.

Many people might be out of work for yet another month or so.

All of these people have bills that they need to pay and even when they start back to work. Paychecks will still be two weeks away, maybe more?

People will be thinking long and hard about if they want to spend $40 on a movie, popcorn and a soda. For a family, this becomes $60 (or more).

Once people can get out of the hoyse again, are they going to want to sit in a movie theater or are they going to want to actually get out and do something?

If I have a family with children that have been kept largely at home for six or seven weeks, I am going to want to take them some place where they can run around and burn off some of that energy they have been storing up. I won't be taking them to sit in a movie theater for two hours.

With a family, that $20 for a first run movie, is looking more attractive.

 

Here comes the future there's no turning back..
Being said there are no longer good movies being shown at a movie to warrant
aspect of loyalty somebody said.. Why would anybody get enjoyment
dealing all the negative in going into movie theater.. screaming children
people talking on the cell phones out loud.. rude people..
When you can sit relax in the comfort of your own home pause the movie..
and comeback it anytime.

 

My guess is that as long as movies are being released as VOD as their primary platform. piracy is going to grow significantly.

After all, a stolen movie watched at home is just as good as a legit movie watched at home. A stolen movie at home does not match the experience of watching it in a movie theater.

So you have increased the relative value of a pirated first-run movie. Plus, for a movie that gets a theatrical release first, you have a many week window when there will not, typically, be good quality copies of that movie available for downloading. If the movie is available on day one as VOD, I imagine good quality copies will appear on the standard sites almost instantaneously.

I'm not saying this is good. It's actually terrible if you make your living from the movie industry. But a VOD-first-day movie definitely devalues the product relative to what you can obtain through piracy.

 

I'm sure this point was made earlier, but Universal probably made more money making Trolls 2 available for streaming now, rather than waiting out social distancing/stay-at-home orders. Hell, had they released Trolls 2 this same week in a normal no-COVID-19 world, it would be competing with No Time To Die in the multiplexes...and major league sports...little leagues...etc. My point is the movie benefitted greatly from having a captive audience.

Once we're on the other side of this, the world will need time to sort itself out. Jobs will need to be found or rejoined, bills will need to be paid, and financial holes dug out of, meaning luxuries like movies will be #100 on everyone's list of their Top 20 priorities. And yeah, personal safety will still be everyone's worry. Does a movie theater sell every other seat? Will they sell food like they used to - the fountain drinks and big boxes of popcorn sitting under the heat lamps? How much hand sanitizer/disinfectant will they need available?

That said, people WILL eventually go back to the movies, just as they will eat in restaurants again, visit museums, have drinks in bars, attend concerts and sporting events, etc. Even those fortunate enough to have food delivered, work remotely, watch movies from the couch, or take virtual tours of art museums, whatever...are OVER being stuck at home. This will not turn America into a country full of hermits and shut in's anymore than 9/11 kept us out of planes and tall buildings. Societal adjustments will probably be made - just as they were post-9/11 - and we'll adapt to them, even begrudgingly. My guess is anyone who, after a season of being quarantined at home, feels eating at a restaurant is too much trouble or a hassle probably wasn't out dining much beforehand. Me? I can't wait to take my wife to dinner...or even my wife and my 9-year old.

...and there's no damn way I'd watch No Time To Die for the first time from the comfort of my couch. I want to be in a theater full of people who are just as excited as I am because it's always been part of the fun and worth a little extra expense and inconvenience. Who knows? By November I might even be able to sit next to my wife.

 

Yeah, I get that $20 for 4 sounds awesome compared to $40 for 4 at a theater, but like I said, I view it as apples/oranges since home vs. theater = different experiences.

I'd see it more as $20 for a 48-hour rental vs. all the movies I could own for much less!

 

I think you mean "eradicated". If we irradiate the virus, that'll just allow it super-powers!

 

This isn't about "Trolls 2". I don't think AMC/Regal/etc. were happy that one went VOD, but they wouldn't have made a massive fuss if that was it.

This is about Uni's potential decision to make all their movies day/date theaters/VOD from here on out...

 

Haha yeah I am not sleeping much these days!

 

Vickie and I can hardly wait for the theaters to open. Most of the theaters we visited were at no more than 10% of capacity, and the last film I saw in the theater, I was literally the only person in the theater.

Neither of us have anything to worry about. All we need is a supply of cheap, disposable masks.

And from everything I've read, the odds of getting it via any method other than breathing in particles of liquid sneezed, coughed or breathed by another person are close to nil.

 

This has to be killing your wife! I've heard a rumor that she likes to see movies in theaters!

 

She's been watching movies and been binge-watching TV series via Amazon, HBO-GO, Netflix and my Plex server, but nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to seeing a film in the theater.

If you measure the screen in "inches" rather than "feet" it's just TV.

She's moving to join me here in Kansas City. She'll really miss the Gene Siskel Film Center and the Music Box (even though it is one decent theater and one terrible crackerbox.) Kansas City's Tivoli closed (after the owner got the public to upgrade the place to digital projection - he sold one of the three to another theater and absconded.)

 

I would be very surprised if Universal makes that decision. They won't see a dime from me at $19.99 per movie, no chance.

 

In the Binghamton, New York area, our choices are limited. We have a 9-screen AMC theater that is clean and enjoyable to visit. It's something like twenty-five to thirty years old now but has been well maintained and renovated several times. We also have a Regal theater with multiple screens. That theater is newer and nicer, but also more expensive for both tickets and concessions. And we have a lone independent with five screens that has managed to stay in business for several years.

The building it's in is quite run down, but the theater owner did what she could to make her part of it nicer. The screens are small, the seats are old, and
the sound system isn't the best. But the place, when open, always does good business, especially when showing family oriented films. I used to go there three or four times a week when I lived just two blocks away from it.

I see a film there three or four times a year now, mostly when going with my Mom, who lives just about two minutes away on foot. I attend the AMC three times
a week because I have their A-List membership. The Regal theater? I can't remember the last time I went there.

 

Most likely it is not.

The restaurants and movie theaters and similar venues will be required to maintain no more than 50% capacity and social distancing rules must apply.

I see that as a non-issue myself. I doubt if the theaters will reach even 50% capacity before the end of the year.

I don't think the theaters will make any commitments as to smaller film releases, at times that a bigger release is planned.

With everything being digital now, they can cut lesser movie showings and show any tent pole movies in that theater too, if needed.

That is the advantage of digital, they can expand and contract dpace on demand.

It may even come down to distributors taking less of a cut, if the theaters are to remain open.

What ever happens, the theaters are not going to be in the driver's seat.

We are to a point where the studio's now have other options and don't have to be subject to any demands or conditions of the big chains.

Universal is well aware of the position that they are taking.

With AMC and now Regal making their public stances, my money is Universal not backing down.

They are certainty not going to allow a practically bankrupt theater chain to dictate any terms or conditions to them.

Ultimately it is going to be AMC's loss rather than Universal's.

Further, my odds are that other studio's are going to go the way of Universal.

The theaters may end up giving away buckets of popcorn and large sodas for $5, in order to attract their patrons back. My bet is also on this happening.

After 911, when no one was spending money on big ticket items, the car industry was offering $5k and $10k rebates on cars, with zero money down and zero percent interest loans on 60-month financing. They were not alone.

I think you are correct. I think it will be more of a given for different reasons, that first run family movies will need to be released digitally.

If this proves to be the case, then Disney will be joining Universal.

Should that happen, then the theater chains will accept the studio's terms or close their doors. It will be their choice.

This, is see is the most likely scenario. I do see the studios perhaps lowering their percentage share with the theaters.

The consumer will be getting a better deal, whatever the outcome may be.

 

Looks like that's a British cinema - note spelling of "colour" - c.1970, when for some reason the old UK cinema market had a crash and I believe couldn't make money by showing anything but X films.

 

While that might be true, it is also a possibility that empty theaters may use them to book mini film festivals with indie movies.

Since most independent films don't usually make it to theatrical releases, this may be an opportunity to do so, in a way that is financially workable.

There is a market for independent films. I believe that people like meself would pay $25 to have an all day pass or a all week pass to see ten movies that are in rotation.

Theaters are going to have to find ways to get creative.

 

Can ANY exhibiting be profitable at 25% of capacity (and that number is being generous)? That's the key question.

 

blowing steam!

 

is that the normal price? pox on them then! LOL..I don't frequent the movie theater...