Will Movie Theaters Ever Defeat COVID?
Cinema City will soon have packed parking lots and lines outside the theater, kids and adults all eager to see movies just like old times.
April 20, 2021
The year 2020 has negatively affected many companies thanks to COVID-19, but with the help of social distancing, wearing masks, and finally getting our vaccines, the U.S. has been doing its fair share of fighting back against this devastating virus. Many businesses were able to reopen recently and are slowly getting back on track to the way they used to be before this past year. However, movie theaters are still facing struggles trying to get back on board with the new times and having people enjoy movies again.
Even during COVID, businesses were able to find their way around the virus to keep a flow of some revenue while the order for indoor activities being prohibited was in place. Instead of sitting inside restaurants, you could enjoy your meal outside using the setup tables or eat it at home after using the to-go service. Stores were able to use online shopping which was already becoming the new normal way of shopping anyways. However, movie theaters never really had this option. Some have tried drive-in movies, but they never found the same success that other businesses did.
Luckily, movie theaters were able to open up now that Orange County has moved up a tier in the COVID regulations, but that is where the luck ends. Many popular movies are still being pushed back for release in theaters because only a small capacity of the theaters can be filled, meaning not as many people can see these new movies and they will not have as much success as they would if this was before COVID. This means that there are not many new movies for people to watch, and the other movies being shown are nothing special, causing no one to actually want to go to the movies now that they are finally open.
However, with the decrease in COVID cases the U.S. is currently having and the rise in vaccines being given, it can not be long until things will be able to open at full capacity and back into the swing of things. Many movies are still going to be released in theaters in the upcoming years that will draw in big crowds to fill these theaters. People will be especially eager to see these movies at the theatre since they were meant to come out already and a lot of people are missing the feeling of seeing a great movie at the comfort of a theater. Camille Khong (10) comments on movie theaters opening up saying “I think everybody is starting to adapt and adjust to this new lifestyle so I am excited to go back into theaters and see the various upcoming Disney/Marvel movies”. Movies like Black Widow were meant to come out during the span of COVID but never did, growing the anticipation of fans for this movie to finally come out.
Though movie theaters might still be facing the ongoing struggle of COVID-19, there is nothing but hope for them as restriction rules continue to become more lenient. In no time, theaters will be full of people waiting to see these upcoming movies that were put on hold, and these cinemas will finally find their success once again. Soon enough, the thing to do on Friday nights will finally be going to the movies once again.
danielle huizar • Jun 3, 2021 at 8:24 AM
I have gone to the movies for the first time in the past year this last weekend, and although masks were not required, since it was spaced out and my family, friends, and I were vaccinated, I felt somewhat safe. I miss going to the movies as often as I did before, and hopefully, as more people get vaccinated, movies will become a common pastime like they were before.
Tiana Salisbury • Jun 3, 2021 at 7:29 AM
I really miss being able to watch movies at theaters, and I really hope that movie theaters can open up to how they were before the pandemic began. Great article!
Emily Eslao • May 18, 2021 at 12:33 AM
It’s been over a year since I’ve last gone to a movie theater, so it’s a relief to see that the industry is recovering even if just a bit. I hope there’s still that priority for people’s safety, even if the delayed release dates and limited capacity are considered inconvenient.
Fiona Salisbury • May 14, 2021 at 9:43 PM
Hopefully in the near future movie theaters will be able to show more new releases. I’m sure that the theaters will be able to recover after the pandemic.
Karina Shah • May 3, 2021 at 9:45 PM
Personally I have not been to the movies, but I have heard that they do not require masks because people are eating. I think this is a big part of why there is less business for those who do not feel safe.
Anita Tun • Apr 29, 2021 at 11:21 PM
I feel that with more people getting streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, people may have not relied on movie theaters to watch the newest film. It’s interesting how movie theaters are evolving with covid, great article!
Emma Perron • Apr 26, 2021 at 8:41 AM
I love the idea of this article. Movie theaters have had such a hard time with COVID and I used to wonder if they would just go out of business. You wrote a great article, I love it.
Kayden Mandley • Apr 25, 2021 at 9:58 PM
Amazing article, Katelyn! I can’t wait for movie theaters to fully open up the way they were before COVID hit.
faith desio • Apr 25, 2021 at 9:39 AM
I have been to the movies a couple of times during covid. I think that the theaters are doing as much as they can to recover from being gone for so long. It is kind of sad to not see anyone in the theaters but I think when movies start coming out again it will be great! I loved the article Katelyn!
Sharon Sun • Apr 24, 2021 at 4:35 PM
I think that with the ongoing progress and rate of vaccinations, we’ll see COVID start to recede and movie theaters return to business. I’m also really excited for that too — a friend and I want to go see the Demon Slayer movie in a cinema environment, since theaters are just so much more immersive than a living room. Great article Katelyn!
Kylie de Best • Apr 23, 2021 at 9:21 AM
It is interesting to see how movie theaters have evolved with COVID and were impacted, and I am curious to see how many people will still go to a theater after COVID.