Director Patty Jenkins has seen her film WONDER WOMAN 1984 delayed several times due to the escalating COVID-19 pandemic and she believes that if movie theaters see another shutdown, it could make us lose movie-theater going forever.
Jenkins spoke with the news agency "Reuters" in an interview from her home in Los Angeles and she got quite candid when discussing the recent temporary closure of Cineworld and Regal Cinemas by saying "If we shut this down, this will not be a reversible process. We could lose movie theater-going forever." Jenkins also suggested that the troubles could lead studios to focus more on streaming and pay less attention to the theatrical arena in the future. The director went on to say “It could be the kind of thing that happened to the music industry where you could crumble the entire industry by making it something that can’t be profitable.”
Jenkins has been among top Hollywood names who have appealed to the government for financial help for cinemas. They believe that if the movie theaters don't get some kind of financial help, it could very well mean their extinction. Even though AMC Theatres and Cinemark have vowed to stay open while Regal has decided to temporarily close, it's still a very scary time for exhibitors because there is a lack of new content to showcase to moviegoers and 2020 is mostly a lost cause for significant new releases with most films shifting to next year due to the pandemic. Jenkins believes without government intervention, we could end up living in a world where “the only option is to take your kids to watch a movie in your own living room”.
Sadly, I don't think she's wrong. The movie theaters are clearly struggling and it looks like no help is in sight. Congress doesn't appear to be budging on providing assistance and some believe that the studios should do their part but the only thing they have done is move their high-profile releases to later dates, largely to protect their investment so they can make the most money possible. The problem with that is, if movie theaters die out there will be no money to be made so perhaps there should be some aide provided by the studios so the industry can stay afloat. I know it's all easier said than done but something needs to happen before theatrical moviegoing officially becomes dead.
Do YOU agree with Patty Jenkins? Do YOU think theatrical moviegoing is in danger of dying?