Last week, Universal had it out with AMC and other theater chains about releasing films through VOD instead of waiting to release their new films. Universal has stated that they have been thinking about releasing films in the straight to VOD model for quite awhile now. With everyone mostly stuck at home with nothing to really do, Universal found its perfect moment to start testing this model for releasing films. They started their new release model by putting ‘Trolls World Tour’ on VOD and in return they made more money on this movie than they did on its predecessor. There may be a number of outside factors which contributed to the film doing so well on its release, but Universal sees it as the first step.
After taking their first step with their new release model, Universal stated that it would continue to follow this model with future releases as well. They announced last week that ‘The King of Staten Island’ would not be delayed and instead released straight to VOD in June. This ended up creating tension with theater chains and AMC even stated that they wouldn’t play any more Universal films. Universal then countered back by saying that they stated in their previous statement that they would also continue to show movies in theaters when they re-open. As of now, they announced that they are making Focus’ ‘The High Note’ available on VOD this week instead of delaying it.
‘The High Note’ stars Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson as characters Grace and Maggie respectively. Grace is a larger-than-life superstar whose talent, and ego, run the show. Maggie is Grace’s overworked personal assistant who one day aspires to be a music producer. Opportunity comes for both of these women when Grace’s manager tells her about a choice she has to make that can alter her entire career. With a lot on the line, both of the women come up with a plan that, if it works, could change their livelihoods forever.
This movie will be the second feature film to be put immediately onto VOD by Universal following the start of this pandemic. It will, apparently, also be far from the last film that they will release straight to VOD and may help pave the way for even more releases. The problem with this release model is that, while it may be convenient, it may be a model that doesn’t last due to the fact that people won’t be stuck at home forever. This is why Universal still plans to play their films in theaters, since the movie-going experience is something some people look forward to, and they don’t want to lose out on that market. We will know a bit more about whether this model can really work in a few weeks when Universal gives out the number of purchases, but until then it is unknown how this plan of theirs will play out.
It is well known at this point that the entertainment industry is in trouble due to the coronavirus pandemic. One of the biggest problems for the industry is production for television shows and film production. With the pandemic situation looking like it will be awhile before it stops, filming for different productions is at a standstill. This is going to be a problem due to the fact that seasons for many productions will come up sooner rather than later. This means that, eventually, there is going to be a point where a new season will have nothing to air. Movies aren’t in as much trouble due to the fact that they can be delayed if necessary.
Many television broadcasted shows had their seasons done filming before the pandemic began, but production crews have to start worrying about what they can do for the next season. Less fortunate, however, are the shows that couldn’t finish filming their season before all of this had begun. Those shows have the worst go of things since it messes with the storytelling that they were going for, and some even managed to finish filming but not post-production. Shows that haven’t had to film or have finished don’t have as much pressure by comparison to get their shows finished. This still doesn’t change the fact that the crews are trying to get back to work as soon as possible.
The amount of time it takes to restart production will vary based on the size of the studio and the production itself. Shows will also have to take a different approach to scenes in order to adhere to the current distancing rules. Things like fight scenes or romantic scenes have to be thought about in an entirely different perspective now, with the notion of romantic scenes even being pushed out entirely. Many other types of scenes involving groups will be axed entirely and shows and movies may not feel the same. The virus is far from over, but production must carry on for these companies so that people can get paid. We can only hope that production starting up again doesn’t make the shows and movies feel wrong due to it all being hasty.
Star Wars will always be the massive franchise we know it as, and despite the main line of films being done, we will just keep getting more. There is hardly a universe out there that is as massive and story intensive as the Star Wars universe. Every time we turn around, there is some new lore information or story that is put out into the world. Side story movies are all a part of the universe and generally receive a warm welcome by fans because it is more story to add to an already massive universe. Now, we will yet again be getting another story, and this time it will be done by Taika Waititi.
Waititi will be coming in as the director for the film and will be co-writing for the film with Krysty Wilson-Cairns who wrote ‘1917.’ Waititi is now known by many for his quirky writing style and his directing skill behind the camera. This director from New Zealand made a small name for himself in directing ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ and ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople.’ He made a big name for himself after directing ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ which completely revived the Thor series. Now that he is coming to the Star Wars franchise, we will most likely be getting another entertaining film from this director.
There have been plenty of people who have complained about the direction and the story of the newer Star Wars films. Hopefully, we will end up with a film by Waititi that most people will enjoy. This way there is a reason for Lucasfilm to continue making movies based in that universe. The past couple of films have been considered failures even though they made a profit because of how strong of a reaction there usually is to new Star Wars films. Now, most of the effort for the universe goes into shows that premiere on Disney+, so hopefully new information on this film will be available soon.
There are countless movies for which people hope there will be sequels for, but most will not be made. Others, however, will end up being made nearly 30 years later by people who care about the original film. In the 90’s there were a number of action films that many expected sequels for and some actually had them made. Among the movies made in the 90’s, ‘Demolition Man’ was one of the movies that did very well. Sylvester Stallone was a huge part of the 90’s action scene and ‘Demolition Man’ was a huge role for him.
People are stuck in their homes these days due to something that is entirely outside of our control. With that in mind, we cling to whatever new information we can get, especially when it pertains to new entertainment information. So when we hear that a beloved action movie that we may have seen is going to get a sequel, it is some exciting news. While there has been no official statement from the production company, actor Sylvester Stallone has said that a sequel was in development for the film. The only thing is whether or not this sequel will be able to draw in new crowds and not just older ones.
For those who haven’t seen the first ‘Demolition Man,’ it sees a cop from the 1990’s being forced into a CryoPrison and awaking in 2032. After a fight with a madman goes wrong, cop John Spartan is put on ice in order to serve a sentence. He is then reawakened 36 years later to confront his nemesis once again, but finds that the world as he knew it has completely changed. The world has become a more sensitive and censored place, which is completely different from the violence he was used to in his own time. Now he has to follow the carnage his enemy leaves behind in order to stop him, while trying to stay sane.
Stallone announcing something like this is something else to keep us preoccupied and excited for when we all get to leave the house again. After all, a new action movie based off an old one isn’t entirely new, but gives us something to add to the list of films to watch out for. There is a huge disparity in time between the two films releases since we don’t even know when the film is supposedly going to start development. Just be sure to be on the look-out for new information because this isn’t going to be coming out any time soon, but it will be out eventually.
Despite the ongoing threat of the coronavirus pandemic, states have started re-opening businesses in an attempt to help the economy. It is also a way to get people out of their homes, since it is driving people a little stir-crazy. While some businesses might be opening up again, it is still a very dangerous time for everyone since all it takes is a couple of people getting careless and the number of new cases will spike again. With that in mind business owners have to follow specific rules in order to be allowed to open again. This is the only way that things are going to work out the way that people want them to.
There are a lot of health checks in place in order for people to go back to the businesses they frequented. It also allows businesses the opportunity to keep good faith with the people that always frequent their establishments. If people found out that a business was a source of new infection cases, then a lot less people would want to go to that place in the future. These health checkpoints ensure that people can go in places, and also so that people who are infected will be identified. In a way, the business re-openings can be useful, but if there is even a small lapse in security then things will get worse.
A few things to keep in mind for people going through the checkpoints is that they will be asking questions, taking temperatures, and some places have airport-style security in place. Among the businesses that have re-opened in some states, movie theaters have some additional restrictions due to seating. Theaters have been forced to continue the social distancing plans while having tape in place in order to guide foot-traffic. Also adding to this is, theaters must also wipe down everything after a showing is finished. All of these things are what is in place if you want to go out to theaters in places they are re-opened.
Movie theaters were one of the first set of businesses to shut down in mid-March after the announcement of the pandemic. They were very quickly forced to ask for financial aid after all of this began due to their loss of revenue and they had to furlough most employees. Chain theaters such as AMC and Regal are choosing to remain closed until things settle down a bit. The chains have a plan that has them re-opening in mid- to late-June and mid-July to help account for all that is going on in the country. Even then, they will most likely have to follow the health check rules in place now, since this pandemic doesn’t seem like it will end soon.
Theaters are having a rough go of things during this pandemic, just like many other entertainment businesses. Movie theaters have done their best to accommodate to the way that the world currently is and how the pandemic is affecting people. Of course, this means that they are stuck closed for a time, and even when they re-open they must do so with restrictions. China will be able to re-open its theaters nation-wide much sooner than here in the U.S., but they also closed before ours did. With this in mind, they are a guiding post as to how things here will go when we re-open our theaters as well.
When theaters do re-open, they will have restrictions on them for the sake of avoiding a massive public health crisis that can be worse than we already have. With those restrictions, money will, of course, be lost since not every seat will be able to be filled. As such, less people filling seats equals less concessions being sold to the public at large. This, in turn means that theaters will be losing a lot of money, even after they re-open their doors to the public. China, having a lot more people in it, is going to lose a lot more than the stateside counterpart would.
With the Covid-19 virus originating in China, and as a result, 70,000 screens shut down, the theater industry there took a massive hit to the coin purse. Even worse for the industry over there, they were forced to shut down around Chinese New Year. For theaters there, Chinese New Year is an insanely lucrative time of year for theatrical releases and it is when most theaters make their money. As such, that time period is one that usually has many blockbusters slotted to play, but they all had to be put on hold. Release schedules had to be moved around and films had to be postponed which means that theaters in China are now in a massive hole.
In march, some 600-700 theaters re-opened in China, but due to low visitation numbers and amid concerns of the virus possibly spreading again, they shut down after one weekend. There is no telling quite how long theaters will be shut down for and how many people will go when they re-open. Consumer confidence is a huge part of bringing people in, and health and safety concerns is a massive reason that could keep people away from theaters even longer. This is something all theaters have to deal with worldwide and even when they re-open they will still be in trouble. Now, it is estimated that it will result in a $4 billion net loss at the box office in China compared to last years $9 billion profit.
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