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I wear glasses too. There is a trick: move the glasses a bit further down the nose. Problem solved. I had a mask on for most of Tenet and once the movie started, I forgot I had it on.
I don’t suppose that’s terribly reassuring for any prospective cinema goers who are weighing up Covid safety against the desire to see a movie on the big sceeen. If movie theatres really want to sell tickets and get punters in the door then you’d think they would be a bit less half arsed over Covid safety procedures.
How long this business model can continue though? No idea.
Basically 4/5 other spectators per showing. For Se7en, Batman Begins, Memento, The Dark Knight, Mississippi Burning and No Country For Old Men, I was the only one present at those showings.
The biggest attendance I've seen since the re-opening was for the opening day of Tenet - 30% of the 50% available seat were taken. So basically 15% of seats pre-Covid.
Attendance in past weeks has totally collapsed however. Tenet is no longer brand new, and whenever I arrive an hour in advance to eat concessions, I can count the total amount of other spectators walk by with 10 fingers only. And my local cinema has 11 auditoriums in total.
And with the recent news that a second nationwide lockdown is no longer an impossibility, I fear for most local businesses.
I don't see any contradiction in these two statements. What I see is you reaching for truly Trumpian levels of projection.
As I say, truly Trumpian levels of projection. "Do what I say or you're dead to me!!!" If NTTD is released now, or in October, you're fine with it. If it's released 11/1/20 or any time after than (until some unspecified time in 2021 when COVID-19 has magically gone away) then you'll just write it off entirely.
You seem to be quite selective in whether or not you've paid any attention to what I've said. (As opposed to your regard for your own words, of course.) So for the record: my little jibe about being impatient was not directed at you, it was directed at @MakeshiftPython, and noted my own impatience as much as anyone else's. But don't worry, this will be my last posting in this topic thread. You won't have to listen to the Beatles Without Earmuffs much longer -- "some things just aren't done." But please do acknowledge that I'm not taking the position I do out of selfishness. As I've already noted, I'm in California. Theaters aren't open here now, and they probably won't be open in November. I expect I won't be able to see NTTD in a theater until the eventual post-COVID re-release. But if it's available on PVOD or DVD or 8-track or Viewmaster reels or whatever some time before then, that's the way I'll watch it initially. "I want it the way I want it and I want it NOW" isn't my position, Dalton, it's yours -- and you seem pretty darned petulant about voicing your opinion if I you don't mind my saying so.
PS: "I almost wish NTTD bombs so hard..." is exactly the sort of thing I'm referencing when I say that you seem to be rooting AGAINST Eon and NTTD. You may want to examine your priorities...
I'd love to see you point to where I ever posted that. Did you just make this claim on the spot, or it this what you call 'Trumpian levels of projection', which you then accused me of doing?
It seems that you aren't happy with me stating facts. So I will try again: The Covid situation is rapidly degrading in France & across Europe. You don't like this fact? Tough luck.
Fact #2: If NTTD releases world-wide in November, it is very likely I will not be able to see in theaters. You don't like that? Tough luck.
Fact #3: Either NTTD's release is pushed forward to October, so I can see it in theaters, or it is delayed to 2021, away from the second European Covid wave, and I'll be able to see it. You don't like that? Tough luck. Also, if I can't see it in cinemas, I hope you put your brain at work and realize that France is a huge market for Bond. That means a second nationwide lockdown here would remove tens of millions of dollars from NTTD's box office.
And finally (fact 4): Coronavirus does not care about you or your opinion. It does not care about me or my opinion. It does not care about EON. It does not care about James Bond. It does not care about NTTD. If the situation keeps degrading, NTTD will be delayed. So your snarky remarks and insults will be meaningless in the long run, as we are facing a virus that shows no emotions or feelings.
So, now can you stop acting petulant, @BeatlesSansEarmuffs? And actually read what people are posting? It is incredible the amount of explanation that needs to be posted because some members just refuse to understand simple arguments.
And lastly: I once again will say it is very sad to see the pandemic making some highly esteemed members fall into the now classic ''fake-news'' argumentation. Bringing Trump into the discussion only makes you look bad. If you accuse me again of making Trumpian projections, take a deep look into the mirror, as I am not the one currently living in the USA (the #1 country ultimately responsible for making the pandemic lasting a lot longer than it should).
Next time: Please do read the opinions I post before attacking false opinions I never once posted on this website. Or, preferably: stop being a contrarian on purpose by acting like I said the opposite of what I actually said.
Congratulations on missing the point so much that I now believe you are being contrarian on purpose. You didn't fool me for long. You may also want to examine your priorities if you keep thinking I am the only Bond fan in France that won't be able to see NTTD if a second nationwide lockdown happens. There's big world out there, maybe you should think about discovering it. You might be shocked by the things you see.
P.S.: I hope damn well this the final time I have to explain my opinion because certain members are making a habit of 1. not understanding a thing, 2. twisting my words, 3. putting words that I never said in my mouth, 4. thinking I said the opposite of what I said and then attacking me on these 'fake news' (like your dear President likes to call them).
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cubs/ct-chicago-cubs-covid-19-tom-ricketts-20200924-vytyan23cjdjlbuejoa7wo2scu-story.html
This is significant: there is no guarantee that we will have any normalcy this spring. There is a possibility things will be worse than they are now.
I can't speak for what is going on elsewhere, but here in the U.S., our numbers are down slighly from August and down significantly from July. All of this, despiute some states sending kids back to school. We are not out of the woods, but I am not sure things are going to be any better or worse in November. EON/MGM are smart for sticking to the November release date: it's a known. A move to Spring is a huge unknown and big gamble.
The US box office is so low, it literally does not matter if NTTD has a world-wide release with or without the USA. Tenet is in its 4th (fourth!) weekend and will barely be at $40 million domestic in total.
The US is no longer a discussion about Covid numbers. Your box office numbers since reopening are so low, its almost meaningless arguing if NTTD will release there. A November release without the US would only slightly be lower than a November release wth the US.
The important areas for NTTD will be Europe, and China. China seems almost back to normal, with The Eight Hundred being the biggest box office hit of 2020 world-wide (it has recently overtaken Bad Boys For Life). But, the big issue at the moment is Europe is starting to be badly hit by their second wave, and restrictions are being put into place in various countries across the continent. If the European box office goes 'offline', NTTD cannot only rely on China given the film's massive budget. Sure, 2021 may not be any better than 2020, but no-one can predict that. 6 months or 12 months into the future is too far ahead to make any predictions that NTTD could flop or not by then. The only thing we can start to predict is: the situation in Europe is rapidly degrading, and November is too close for the situation to improve drastically.
I am aware that EON has recently poured a lot of money into marketing, but Covid-19 does not care about money. It will continue to run its course no matter how much EON wants to release NTTD or how much us Bond fans want to see the film.
To take your last sentence: "EON/MGM are smart for sticking to the November release date: it's a known. A move to Spring is a huge unknown and big gamble." It is also a known that the situation could be dire in Europe in November, and is it known the US box office is basically non-existent. A November release is probably as much of a gamble as a Spring 2021 release. There is still 47 days until NTTD is released. In this pandemic, it is both too long (another 47 days for the situation to get worse) and too close (the lag between cases, hospitalizations & deaths prevent the situation from drastically improving in only 47 days).
But there are, at least, box office numbers to report. Theaters are open (if barely). I am not sure they will be in spring. EON is smart to open now, get as much $ out of it as they can, release to VOD, take the loss, and move on. Who knows, DC may agree to come back now.
Anyway it’s their money. If they’re fine with this, I’m fine. I’ll go day one.
If we go down the VOD discussion, we can't ignore that Mulan massively underperformed on this platform, which forced Disney to delay many films a few days ago. NTTD is a big budget film, it cannot risk to flop by trying a strategy that has proven more than once* that it is not profitable.
* Remember that Universal stopped reporting VOD numbers on The Trolls 2 after its opening weekend, indicating sales probably dropped massively after that.
And about those box office reports: All films currently in US cinemas combined are making less than $10 million per weekend. You cannot release a big budget film there on such small numbers. And that is without mentioning that between now and NTTD, there is 9 weeks without any other blockbusters. God only knows how many US cinemas will have to close, some even permanently, because they are losing more money being open than being closed. The current box office intake in the US does not even cover the operating cost of theaters. It is not a sustainable business model when you are bleeding money every day.
https://boxofficepro.com/long-range-box-office-forecast-black-widows-delay-lessons-from-tenet-and-what-to-expect-from-the-next-8-weeks/
If cinemas stay open, NTTD will come out in November.
I think this is where we're at now.
Seems the ideal option at this point, or like I suggested previously, a staggered, hybrid release - let it open in theaters where applicable and have a PVOD option worldwide for countries that are worse off due to the pandemic.
Your statement is the equivalent of saying "If I can't have it, then nobody can". That's quite arrogant and childish to me.
FACT #1: Your opinions don't count as facts. FACT #2: I don't care what anybody else thinks anyway. FACT#3: I'm not even posting on this thread so there. (Oh, and BTW: yes, a staggered theater/PVOD/retail DVD release is probably the best way to go. I expect MGM's plans are well under way at this point.)
;)
Ate you serious or are you failing to understand on purpose? You and @BeatlesSansEarmuffs seem to fail to understand that this isn’t about me. A second nationwide lockdown doesn’t just mean that I won’t be able to see it, it means this entire country won’t be able to see it. France is a huge box office market for Bond. In this current pandemic EON can’t just ignore tens of millions of $ being suddenly unavailable. Skyfall made over $60 million in France, and Spectre made almost $40 million. And as I already said, we already ready know the US box office is currently non existent, where SF made $300 million and SP made $200 million. Just how many territories where Bond earns over $40 million can EION ignore just to grant your wish of a November release ?
It seems the only childish behavior is you and @BeatlesSansEarmuffs, who want NTTD out in November out no matter what. If NTTD comes out to absolutely terrible box office numbers, we will know to blame the both of you for failing to realize that there is a global pandemic that can render a release impossible at any moment.
Also: stop being so pessimistic @RogerJonMoorePertwee. How can you be so sure that the pandemic will still be ongoing in November 2021? Don’t accuse others of being pessimistic when you also do the same. It is strange to see those who were adamant the pandemic would be over by this summer (like @Mendes4Lyfe) now be absolutely confident that the pandemic will still be ongoing in late 2021. That makes you the pessimist. So I don’t know why I keep being accused of being pessimistic when I am not the one arguing the entire 2021 year is going to be a disaster too.
I once again hope this is the final time I see my posts being attacked by false accusations. It is getting tedious that any discussion is impossible without spending endless posts explaining and re-explaining things that some members refuse to understand (or won't understand on purpose just to spark a heated argument).
California estimates COVID-related hospitalizations will rise by 89% in the next month.
https://deadline.com/2020/09/california-coronavirus-update-state-estimates-covid-related-hospitalizations-will-rise-89-in-the-next-month-1234585640/
This is how quickly the situation worsen. NTTD comes out in 46 days in Europe and 55 days in the USA. Now think that Europe currently has way more new infections recently than the USA. And now apply that hospitalizations trend to Europe. Can we all finally realize how uncertain the current situation is? And how dire the situation could be in November, making NTTD's release impossible (and seeing a new Bond film would be the least of our worries at that point).
Most new infections are currently the young demographics. Now take into consideration that after a while they will start infecting their parents, grandparents, teachers, senior co-workers, etc. Now apply the lag between infections & hospitalizations and the lag between hospitalizations & deaths. And now you can see that the situation is getting worse, and when exponential growth kicks in, we are back to the peak of March/April restrictions being inevitable (to avoid hospitals from being overrun).
Though the U.S. box office for Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” has caused alarm about the state of American theaters six months into the pandemic, the Warner Bros. film has earned solid numbers overseas thanks in part to European theaters. But with COVID-19 infection rates rising again throughout Europe (and many parts of the U.S.), there’s no guarantee that those countries will still be open for any big Hollywood films to be released this fall.
In the U.K., daily new cases of the virus have risen from around 1,300 at the start of September to over 5,000 on Wednesday, edging closer to the peak of 6,000 daily new cases from back in early May. Across the continent, new cases reached a record high of 52,418 over a rolling seven-day average on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. While the death rate average remains well below 1,000, thanks to a mix of infections being primarily among younger individuals and improved knowledge on how to treat the virus, there is still concern that the arrival of flu season could change that. If deaths do rise, governments will have to make some difficult decisions about whether to close businesses again, risking a double-dip recession.
But while countries around the world have seen significant drops in overall weekend box office numbers compared to September 2019, the drop is far less drastic in some major European countries than in the U.S. Data from Comscore and UNIC shows that gross drops for the first weekend of September ranged between 58% in Spain year-over-year to as low as 23% in Germany. By comparison, U.S. numbers for that weekend were down 78%.
For all the talk of Warner Bros. releasing “Tenet” before American audiences were ready to go back to theaters, the studio may have caught the best window to release the $200 million-budgeted film internationally. Many major box office markets in Europe and Asia have contained the virus in the third quarter, giving “Tenet” the best opportunity to reach as wide an audience as possible in a pandemic-affected environment. So far, the film has grossed $217 million overseas, which Warner Bros. International Distribution Chief Andrew Cripps said equates to an estimated 30 million tickets sold despite the wildly uneven environments that “Tenet” has opened into around the world.
But whether or not “No Time to Die” moves could largely hinge on Bond’s homeland, the U.K.. Reluctant to close businesses again, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a 10 p.m. curfew for business and other measures in an effort to drop infection rates as the country faces a second wave. While this will mean that British theaters will lose late-night screenings, it’s not yet a critical blow.
What would be is a drop in moviegoer turnout over the coming months or, if hospitalizations and deaths in the country escalate, a more widespread shutdown like the one that occurred at the onset of the pandemic. Either situation could force “No Time to Die” to move, as Britain has been a critical box office market for Bond with more than $100 million grossed for both “Skyfall” and “Spectre.” For now, a spokesperson for MGM said it is committed to a fall opening, with a U.K. release coming via Universal on November 12 and other countries getting release later that month.
https://www.thewrap.com/european-theaters-tenet-second-covid-wave-close-again/
If Tenet really is the maximum a film can hope for in 2020, a November release for NTTD could mean we are looking at NTTD becoming the lowest grossing Bond film in the entire franchise. It can very well end up below LTK, the current lowest grosser (adjusted for inflation). Is this what we really want the box office numbers to be for NTTD, given it has a much bigger budget than LTK?
If we argue that 'NTTD needs to be released as soon as possible', we also have to face that this is likely to mean we want the Craig to end with a disaster at the box office. Because not only if NTTD grosses even less than Tenet (due to the second wave in Europe), but NTTD's budget is even bigger than Tenet's. So the financial loss could be even worse.
If it comes down to it (and I don't want it as much as you), the film will eventually just have to come out on home media and streaming and that will be that.
I know EON and MGM are businesses, they're not charities. They don't legally owe us anything. Considering that though, as we have had to wait such a long time since the last Bond film even before this pandemic, and as since this year's been so (pardon my language here) shit overall, affecting all of us in different ways, don't you think we are justly deserving of a new Bond film at this point? I'm saying this in resigned desperation at this point, really.
I won't even bother to answer to such childish behaviour. Post flagged.
However, I'll answer to myself:
Current trends do not lie. This isn't being pessimistic, this is being realistic. 47 days is not enough for the global situation to drastically improve. Cases are continually rising in Europe. Hospitalizations and death will lag by a few weeks. This is not pessimism, this is actual facts that has been proven time and time again since the pandemic began. If people could stop complaining stuff that they can't control, it would be great, and would mean less spam on certain threads. Why are some people so unhappy about facts, numbers, trends and metrics about the Covid-19 pandemic is beyond me. It takes weeks for cases to stop rising. And it takes even more weeks for hospitalizations and deaths to decrease due to the several weeks of lags being these metrics. But, some people don't like maths or science and will disregard these facts since they don't fit the narrative that NTTD must be released in November so the pandemic must disappear before November 1st.
Saying 'Late 2021 could still be terrible !!!1!1' is being pessimistic, as 1. this is 1 year away, meaning 2. no one can predict that far away.
Now can we please get back on topic without anymore attacks from the usual suspects? All this pessimism from some members I read here is becoming tedious. I'm tired of being blamed that the pandemic is getting worse again which could affect the release of NTTD. It is not my fault there are so many Covid-idiots in the world that refuse to wear masks or social distance, which causes the case numbers to rise. And getting blamed for posting articles about stuff that is factually happening is also getting annoying. It is not my fault there aren't any articles about the pandemic disappearing because we aren't in that timeline. Blame the Covid-idiots, not me. I'm not one of them, I wear a face masks every time I go outside, even if it's only to take out the garbage.