Vulture: What If the Movie Studios Decide They Don’t Need Theaters After All? (Mulan vs. Tenet release strategy discussion)

[Jeffolation]

Theaters are obsolete.
Driving to a crowded place to see a movie on their specified place and time?
Everything else comes to me and my own comfort, my time and place, pauses for me and any where I want.
No wasting time going anywhere or wasting money and transport.

It's a relic of the past, let it die.

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lol

The idea of seeing something like Tenet or Dune in a living room instead of on screen like it was intended? You must never eat out either with all those demands, having to be somewhere at a certain time and place when you can order take out at home! So outdated!

 

[Lump]

I'd enjoy going back to the movies. Just not this year and probably a good chunk of next year too.

 

[Jeb]

lol

The idea of seeing something like Tenet or Dune in a living room instead of on screen like it was intended? You must never eat out either with all those demands, having to be somewhere at a certain time and place when you can order take out at home! So outdated!

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Never found any more enjoyment out of a theater than in my household, latter is actually better as I dont have to miss key points for a bathroom break, no wasted time going to a theater or having to deal with annoying people.
The increase in convenience is a night and day difference.

 

[BassForever]

Love the theater experience, not going until the Pandemic is over

 

[Skiptastic]

I mean, once COVID is gone, I'm still going to want to go to the IMAX to see the big budget blockbusters. But even as big of a Nolan fan as I am, I'm not risking it right now to go see Tenet.

 

[Deleted member 36054]

I sit 8 feet away from a 75 inch 4ktv. I'd be fine with the option to watch at home. With that said if still want to go to the theaters at some point.

 

[Deleted member 8468]

I would love to see Tenet in theaters, going to the theater was a semi-regular monthly thing for me pre-C19. Definitely not going now or until I have some type of vaccine in me.

That said, I would definitely pay more to see releases at home right now. I can't say I would still be paying those premiums in a non-covid world, but honestly the cabin fever has sunk in enough for me to be willing to pay out $30 to see a new Nolan flick at home.

 

[Biggersmaller]

I really want theaters to survive this. Primarily because the experience of going to a movie is something I personally value. Also, a crippling decline or the death of theaters would be an utter disaster for film. Theaters are far too big a slice of the revenue pie for productions to succeed without it. Before COVID - cash flows were already expected from streaming, VOD, and DVD/BD and baked into budgeting a film - so there is simply no avenue for recouping the windfall that was ticket sales.

At least at my local AMC, people who saw Tenet have told me they are strictly keeping the audience at 40% capacity and their website confirms that. I was also told employees are enforcing distancing and mask policies. So...yes...I will most likely see Tenet this weekend.

 

[The Albatross]

I'm absolutely not seeing Tenet in theatres. Massachusetts is doing pretty well, positive rate is below 1% for the first time since ... ever, but I'm not going to risk going to the theatre and for me to go to the theatre it also means getting a baby sitter, etc. Too much work.

I would pay $20 to stream tenet at home, even though I don't know anything about the movie, I'd happily pay money to stream a new blockbusters. WHile I have a child, live action Mulan is not something I care about. I don't really like the live action Disney movies.

 

[Blader]

I'm absolutely not seeing Tenet in theatres. Massachusetts is doing pretty well, positive rate is below 1% for the first time since ... ever, but I'm not going to risk going to the theatre and for me to go to the theatre it also means getting a baby sitter, etc. Too much work.

I would pay $20 to stream tenet at home, even though I don't know anything about the movie, I'd happily pay money to stream a new blockbusters. WHile I have a child, live action Mulan is not something I care about. I don't really like the live action Disney movies.

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I'm in MA too. I had thought about seeing Tenet in one of the local indies near me, partly because I trust them to do a better job with health compliance, partly to support them. But those places are still closed and I just don't trust going into an AMC or Regal now. I might be more confident with the Arclight, since that place was already empty before the pandemic lol, but I think they're closed too.

 

[Biggersmaller]

I'm absolutely not seeing Tenet in theatres.

I would pay $20 to stream tenet at home, even though I don't know anything about the movie, I'd happily pay money to stream a new blockbusters. WHile I have a child, live action Mulan is not something I care about. I don't really like the live action Disney movies.

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I hear you on that. I don't particularly care for them either, but I'm still streaming Mulan with my family Friday. It seems to be a Mushu-free PG-13 family friendly (while still seeming dramatic) war movie lacking all musical numbers. It seems a lot different than those near shot-for-shot approximations retaining most lines and songs, but losing the soul when dropping beautiful animations and voices.

 

[Kill3r7]

Besides killing off an entire industry, I am not sure how they would generate anywhere close to the same revenue.

 

[Deleted member 18025]

I saw Tenet in theaters and it was actually fine?

No one coughing and everyone was spaced apart

 

[Biggersmaller]

I saw Tenet in theaters and it was actually fine?

No one coughing and everyone was spaced apart

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This makes me happy to read.

 

[tangeu]

I will never pay $20(+) to rent a movie digitally at home, it's far too expensive. I pay $8 for a matinee ticket at the theater and have 10000% better picture and sound.

 

[Deleted member 18025]

This makes me happy to read.

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Yea it wasn't bad. The chairs have tape on them that you remove before you sit. Just means they're clean and need to be cleaned again when you leave.

Ordered food too and came in a to-go container.

 

[MadScientist]

Giant amphitheater at my AMC has a 6:30 showing with currently no sold seats. It's tempting, but not worth the risk. If things are looking better by December I'll probably go see Dune with my dad. It's both our favorite novel so we were planning to see it together. I do love the theater experience, but I also wouldn't mind a $20-30 option to watch in 4k on my TV at home.

 

[Curler]

Maybe it's time that they don't pay millions and millions for actors and have a more even ground for everything so that movies won't cost that much anymore and theaters are not needed?

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Star power is definitely NOT what it used to. Having names like "Tom Cruz" just don't pull people into seat as much as the franchise name like "Mission Impossible" would. However, if you have stayed to watch the end credits of any Marvel movies, and actually see HOW many CG studios are used for these movies and the amount of names, then yeah movies will continue to be expensive on graphics alone.

Theaters are obsolete.
Driving to a crowded place to see a movie on their specified place and time?
Everything else comes to me and my own comfort, my time and place, pauses for me and any where I want.
No wasting time going anywhere or wasting money and transport.

It's a relic of the past, let it die.

Click to shrink...

This is not a subjective view at all :/ Just because VoD is a thing for "watch whenever" it doesn't mean live events ever will be. That's like saying concerts are outdated, because I can just watch a video version at home. I get it, theaters aren't for everyone, but to call giant screens that can't fit into peoples homes, and huge 20 speaker Dolby setups or whatever are "obsolete" just for the option that you can't hit pause to go pee, is something else.


I have to say, I have never known people that have hated the theater so much than after seeing these topics when debating on VoD stuff. I've known people that don't go to many movies often, sure, but never anyone that have hated them so much as to say "ok theaters can die cause I don't personally like them" :/

 

[Soapbox Killer]

My house will never be a able to replicate the theater experience that I expect when watching a new movie with the scale and spectacle of Say a Star Wars or MCU film.

"And that's why cable will never replace the movie going experience"
-Al Bundy

 

[DrEvil]

Saw it in the drive-in last weekend. Still the only way I'll see new movies in this current climate. (I'm in Canada, though)