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There are not only US- or UK-movies to show.
Here in Germany theatre re-opened in May and June, and lots of distributors released movies from South America, from Asia, from Africa, and from Europe, of course. Every week there were like 10 new movies out.
Of course not one of those movies became a big hit - but all movies together kept the theatres running, while they were waiting for new German- und US-Mainstream-Movies.
And don't start with "Americans don't like dubbed movies, and they don't want to read subtitles aswell" - one misses so much, if the only culture one consumes is the own culture.
American distributors and cinemas should get all those wonderful movies from all around the world.
While I agree that us Americans could use more foreign cinema in our theaters, I don't think that foreign films are going to get people back in the cinema, especially when a new Christopher Nolan film didn't. What's been proven (I think) is most Americans aren't ready to return to the cinema yet. Our country didn't handle the pandemic well and going to communal indoor spaces doesn't feel safe. Theaters will only return to profitability when the average theater-goer feels safe to do so, not just hardcore film lovers. The fact that the average theater couldn't cover it's own operating expenses in the second weekend of a brand new Christopher Nolan film's box office seems to back this up. I don't see how that changes in the coming months leading up to NTTD's impending release date
That's a huge psychological problem.
Because most scientists in Europe say, that going to the movies is one of the most safe things you can do now. Because of perfect ventilation, because of distancing, because of almost no talking ...
Over here some countries already discuss to reduce the distancing rule.
And let's face it: there are no news of infections coming from theatre visits.
And a second truth: Corona will NEVER ever go away. Not next year and not in 50 years.
There will always be a risk, even with a vaccine.
I just found out: over the last 4 weeks more people went to the movies in China than during the same time last year: 108 million admissions. No new cases. In Europe admission numbers are not that high, but as I said I haven't heard about a single outbreak in a theatre.
It's like Asia and Europe is testing the whole going to the movies thing for months now, and nothing bad happened. But even that is not enough good news for the US to go back to the cinema.
Tenet is actually killing cinema chains in the USA. I fail to comprehend how anyone can defend the film's box office when it is doing so badly that theaters are losing money just by showing it.
And as I said: $200 million world-wide given the pandemic is a strong number. $200 million world-wide on a $200 million is a financial disaster. It's time we stop kidding ourselves and accept the fact that releasing a big budget film during a pandemic was a stupid idea. It won't come close to making its budget back, and in countries like the USA not enough people are ready to return to cinemas anyway.
This. I don't see how NTTD will be successful in its current release date. I think swallowing another $20-$30M in marketing costs might be more cost effective than releasing a movie that has no chance to make back it's budget.
Also, this is their doing. They chose to ramp up marketing before seeing how Tenet did. Other studios/films didn't make that same mistake.
True.
My local theatre operator strongly disagrees.
This is called 'whatsaboutism' and shows you refuse to admit Tenet is doing so catastrophically bad in the USA that it is killing theaters. But you can continue to ignore the US box office as it doesn't fit the narrative that Tenet is helping theaters. If it were the case, Wonder Woman* and Black Widow would not have been delayed within weeks of Tenet's appalling opening weekend numbers.
Again, just because Tenet is doing good in your country or in your local theaters does not mean Tenet's world-wide numbers aren't in flop territory.
----
It's as if people just won't admit that the Tenet experiment failed. Tenet is doing so bad in the USA that it is killing theaters. Tenet's international numbers are nowhere near enough to avoid the film being a $200 million flop.
Anyway, there is no point in continuing an endless back-and-forth discussion when actual data & facts are being ignored because they don't fit the narrative that some have in mind.
* If Tenet's staggered release was actually successful, WB would only have delayed Wonder Woman domestically. As it stands, they delayed its release dates in every country, proving that the international box office isn't doing well enough for a big-budget film.
The only blockbuster that can get away with that - be it a longer stagger or just letting the US be as it may in November - is No Time To Die. Perhaps Pixar's Soul too as there's more precedent with staggered (potentially months-long) releases of animated/family films.
"Hey, let's go to the movies. What's out?"
"It's still just Tenet..."
"Ugh... let's just watch Netflix."
I really don't understand the long-term strategy for the US box office. Tenet's numbers are so low, as are those of the other films currently playing, that theater chains are currently operating at a loss. And that was with last weekend's total numbers being above $12 million. This weekend, it is very likely to be below $10 million. With Greenland moving, there is zero new wide releases until Honest Thief on October 9th, with Death on the Nile on the October 23rd being the next relatively mid-budget release. How long are cinemas there planning on being open while the total box office numbers don't even cover their operating costs? I don't see any easy solution out of this. Especially not with the imminent delay of Black Widow.
The best compromise solution right now seems to be letting the US go - be it delaying a film there specifically, or going PVOD (again, only there), or just accepting the tiny box office if it opens theatrically at that time.
Ideally I'd say the entire thing globally should shut down until vaccine with governments supporting the sector but that's clearly not gonna happen...
https://www.indiewire.com/2020/09/tenet-6-7-million-total-box-office-is-under-15-million-theaters-hurt-1234586104/
The domestic theater total gross this weekend will fall short of $15 million. Roughly, that suggests perhaps $5,000 per theater — not enough to cover operating expenses.
For all the justified focus on “Tenet,” as important a result this weekend was the paltry $1.125 million earned by Sony’s “The Broken Hearts Gallery.” That was in 2,204 theaters, leaving a per-theater average of just over $500 and only placing fourth.
Numbers like these alleviate safety concerns about overcrowding, but they do nothing to encourage other distributors to fill in release-schedule gaps with smaller titles. At this point, it feels like money poured down the drain. Since films must observe normal theatrical windows to play top circuits , there is even less reason to go.
However, upcoming weeks will see no new major releases. With “Wonder Woman 1984” delayed until December — the sole potential blockbuster for next month — and Universal taking “Candyman” out of October 16 until next year, studios are saying it’s not worth it.
This leaves theaters in dire straits. This weekend, the average complex grossed under $5,000 (before concessions). More than half of that goes to film rentals. They have staff and other operational costs to pay, as well as rent to landlords. Theaters have a stronger hand in negotiating rent if they’re closed. Once open, they owe, and now they face weeks of operation at a significant loss.
Theaters weren’t fools in trying to reboot. They were operating from a weak position where opening gave a hope that audiences might flock to “Tenet,” and if so other top films would follow. They also feared not opening would encourage more VOD plays, which would lead to greater problems. Now, they face further financial stress.
So again, explain to me how Tenet and the other films currently playing in US cinemas are doing anything other than killing theater chains? We are heading towards a weekend that will fall below $10 million for all films combined.
And by the way, the article I linked said the total box office 'will fall short of $15 million'. It actually ended at $12,6 million. This is likely to be the final weekend above $10 million for the next 5 weeks. Care to explain how these cinemas will pay their operating costs when the box office is so low, it is almost non-existent?
Because there simply isn't enough people willing to go to the cinema. In other words, it is basic maths. Not enough people = not enough money = no reason to release big budget films.
You'll have to explain how it is a good thing to keep theaters open when the box office is so low, that cinemas are actually losing more money since they reopened than while they were closed. The actual numbers we've seen in the past weeks do not fit the narrative that cinemas are doing better since they are showing movies again - they are currently doing worse financially than when they were showing zero movies.
And yet we are talking about big-budget Hollywood films. Why do you act surprised and annoyed that the unwillingness of US audiences to go flocking back to cinemas are causing the delays of US blockbusters? A is causing B, yet you keep going on and on about B shouldn't be happening when you refuse to even admit/acknowledge what the cause is.
You better not be telling me you are about to yet again go down that route, because it was increasingly tedious the first time you refused to understand this. US box office is the most important country for US blockbusters, apart from the few internationally heavy franchises (aka Bond and Fast & Furious).
Hopefully you have finally understood why the US box office situation is causing all these delays, so you don't spam this thread again.
Especially when you misquote @antovolk 's post:
There is a very limited number of US blockbusters than earn way more internationally than domestically. The Fate of the Furious, for exemple, grossed $226 milion domestic and $1 billion in foreign markets.
If the situation is still as bad in 2021, Fast 9 should have no problem releasing if the US are in a dire situation. Films like Top Gun however, are much less certain.
As long as not enough people are willing to return to cinemas: this continual circle will continue. There is no ifs or buts. The current situation is too risky for big budget films. Tenet's failure is a testament of that. Domestically heavy US blockbusters simply won't be releasing anytime soon. No matter how much complaining will be posted in this thread.
As for VOD/PVOD: there is a reason why Disney has not released any numbers concerning Mulan in the medias. Or why Universal has not released any updates on Trolls 2 since its opening PVOD weekend. Simply put: the numbers there are most likely not encouraging for big-budget films.
These films have to be released because the distributors get the money from banks,etc and as everybody knows people who can't pay off their houses lose them to the banks.
It's the same with the studios, release the film or lose the film rights to the banks,etc.
The studios haven't got $200 m or more or less in their studio safes to finance films,they borrow the money.
The NY Times has just posted an article that states the following:
“The industry needs New York to open as soon as possible,” said Ken Thewes, Regal Cinemas’ chief marketing officer. “Governor Cuomo has done a great job getting it under control, but we really need him to give cinemas the same thought that he’s given to the restaurant industry and let us resume operations.”
If those markets don’t open, and the studios get skittish, theater operators may have to take some dramatic steps to weather the storm. Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Box Office Pro, said cinemas may start reducing operating hours to minimize expenses — perhaps going down to 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. screenings only, and foregoing matinees and early-evening screenings. In some cases, theaters have leases that require them to operate seven days a week. For those that don’t, showing movies only on weekends may be an option.'
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/business/media/tenet-movie-theaters-coronavirus.html