ALL NOV ROAR PAGES

BLOCKBUSTED?
Theater owners anxiously await
return of full-house audiences
VIOLET CHACE /
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Sophomore Deklyn’s Gardner eyes lose focus on the movie he
watches on his computer screen as he wonders if movie theaters
will become what drive-ins are to him now. Highly anticipated
films such as “The Batman” and “Bond: No Time to Die” have had
to push back release dates, delay production, or release directly to
streaming services. As with most aspects of life in 2020, the way
consumers are viewing new films has changed due to COVID-19
and health concerns.
“By releasing the movies to homes instead of theaters, it makes
movies more inclusive and could still make the production companies
money,” Gardner said.
In addition to the health benefits for viewers, junior Logan Gerhard
said he thinks streaming movies can be more cost-effective.
“I feel like it's a good option to have,” he said. “It’s cheaper, and
it allows people to see the movie without having to pay lots of
money.”
While streaming has its benefits for customers, local theaters
such as the Premiere Theaters Oaks Stadium 10 have taken a hit.
“If studios continue to skip theaters and head straight to video
on demand, cinemas will be shuttered permanently and even
more employees will be out of work,” Oaks owner Stephanie Hill
said. “After the extended closures due to COVID-19, movie theaters
are on the brink of bankruptcy as it is, and this could be the
straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Cinemaworld, another local theater, also faces challenges that
were especially severe at the beginning of the pandemic when the
state force the temporary closure of theaters.
“During that time, we had to furlough the majority of our staff,
a decision that was extremely difficult for us,” said Senior Vice
President of Operations Jim Deal.
During the temporary shutdown, the Premiere Theater Oaks
10 found a way to bring some movie magic to members of the
community.
“We eventually decided to meet up on Wednesdays to give out
free popcorn to all of our customers ‘drive-thru style’ in order to
see each other and celebrate our Free Popcorn Wednesday tradition,”
Hill said. “Even though we were several yards apart, it was
nice to be together again.”
While national chains such as AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas
have shut down indefinitely, Cinemaworld and The Oaks
have begun to reopen with new safety and cleaning protocols.
However, audiences remain small because some customers continue
to avoid the big screen for health or comfort reasons.
“As a consumer I like being able to just watch a movie at home,
however I hope movie theaters still stay so people can go out to
PHOTO / VIOLET CHACE
The Premiere Oaks Theater 10 hs seen audience sizes dwindle.
the movies together,” Gerhard said.
Despite industry hardships, Deal remains confident that cinemas
will not simply cease to exist.
“Movie-going is a social experience,” Deal said. “For all of the
naysayers, there is nothing like seeing a movie with an audience
— the gasp of a twist-ending or the jump during a horror film.”
According to Deal, theater owners have expressed optimism
because an anticipated surplus of 2021 releases should be more
than enough to lure audiences back.
“Twenty-twenty-one is shaping up to be a terrific, if not record
breaking, year at the movies,” Deal said. “The summer of 2020
was a bust, but certainly all of those films, along with a bunch
that were already in 2021, are going to make one heck of a year at
the movies.”
Gerhard said he’s looking forward to at least one of those rescheduled
blockbusters.
“I am really excited for the ‘Black Widow’ movie because she
was one of my favorite Marvel superheroes,” he said.
After showing only flashback films for a short period of time,
theaters such as Premiere Theaters Oaks Stadium 10 now offer
some current movie releases including “The War with Grandpa”
and “Honest Thief.”
“Now that we have new movies on the big screen, we are hopeful
that our local customer support will continue to grow,” Hill
said.
WESTSHOREROAR.COM / ROAR I 21