The Doom of the Movie Industry

The+Doom+of+the+Movie+Industry

Mei Dotzler, Contributor

I used to go to the movies every Tuesday night. I’d sneak in my own drinks, buy an overpriced tub of popcorn with extra butter, and sprinkle an obscene amount of salt on top. However, ever since Coronavirus, I haven’t been to the theaters in over 6 months.

It wasn’t until March 2020 that The United States was hit full force by Covid-19; thus, the country was immediately forced into an indefinite self-quarantine, shutting down all jobs and stores. Along with all the stores, movie theaters were closed as well, halting all impending summer film releases.

After just 5 months of shut down, AMC Theaters — arguably the biggest movie theater chain in America — lost an approximate $2.2 billion due to the pandemic. Trying to recover from an astronomic loss, AMC has announced their plans of fully reopening in late August, and in a desperate attempt to increase revenue, they’re welcoming back customers with 15¢ tickets.

Along with these prices, AMC is implementing several COVID safety measures, such as mandatory face masks and cleaning of seats. However, I have some questions. Are they doing social distancing within the theaters? If so, will people just sit in every other seat? But doesn’t that defeat the purpose of being six feet apart? Are you going to have very limited screen times? What will the capacity of each theater be? How do you expect to make all your money back? Although required, how will people eat with their masks on?

People wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus watch the film “Dolittle” at a movie theater in Beijing, Friday, July 24, 2020. Beijing partially reopened movie theaters Friday as the threat from the coronavirus continues to recede in China’s capital. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP)

Frankly, I’m not looking forward to going back to theaters, as I’m sure many people can agree. Who wants to sit with a mask on and be by themselves for 2 and a half hours straight? Not only do I think people will be too scared to go back, but they also just don’t want to deal with all the safety precautions. Because of this virus, the entertainment world has taken a massive toll, with seemingly no end in sight. Yes, the reopening of movie theaters could be a positive thing, but people have lost interest. Can you even name DiCaprio’s latest film?