NATO Head Says Theaters Should Still Open During Pandemic
By George Robbins
Theaters have been a source of controversy since the beginning of the pandemic due to the actions of networks, studios, and even the theater owners themselves. The biggest factor behind any of the controversy surrounding theaters is the fact that many don’t believe theaters should even try to open up. The problem is that theaters are a business, however, they are a type of business that are very high risk when it comes to the world’s current climate. The coronavirus spreads similarly to the flu so it can spread fairly easily and having people in an enclosed room crowded near one another makes it kind of difficult for people to avoid getting sick. Among the complaints by theaters are questions like why other businesses such as malls can remain open but they cannot. As of now the only thing I can think of is the fact that malls are more wide open spaces than theaters are.
Networks and studios have decided that certain movies should not have to wait for theatrical releases and so they released them digitally right from the get-go. This is what caused AMC and other theater chains to say that they would no longer show their films in their theaters and Universal had to issue a response saying that they would still be showing movies in theaters in the future. What would follow from that point is a series of issues with studios releasing any films whatsoever because it was becoming too dangerous. Summer titles were supposed to have started releasing by now in the U.S., but due to a resurgence in the coronavirus, those plans were scrapped. It now appears that alternative plans are going to be made and, for Warner Brothers at least, they might just release their movies oversea first.
Theaters have had no new movies to show, thus it has been pointless to even try opening their doors again, and even if they do, then they will likely have to close back up again not too long afterwards. Apparently the constant delays of movies are making the head of the National Association of Theater Owners, or NATO, annoyed. He said recently that movies should just be shown in theaters already so that they can open their doors to the public. Even in the midst of a pandemic, he wants studios to take the risk and release their movies to theaters which most of them will never do because it is too much of a liability. The head of NATO believes that theaters will simply have to function at “limited capacity” until a cure for the virus is found, but that they should remain open. This being something that doesn’t actually work this way has fueled a fire of controversy that will be debated going forward.