Movie Business Pivots to Outdoor Models Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Movie theaters remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there has been a resurgence of outdoor movie theaters and household screenings.

Last week, AMC, the world’s largest movie theater chain made an announcement regarding their reopening. It announced the delay of most locations’ opening until mid to late August.

“This new timing reflects currently expected release dates for much anticipated blockbusters like Warner Bros.’ Tenet and Disney’s Mulan, as well as release dates for several other new movies coming to AMC’s big screens,” the company said in a statement.

The Hollywood Reporter noted that B. Riley FBR analyst Eric Wold projected that “the 2021 box office would fall about 20 percent below 2019 levels – when the domestic haul reached $11.4 billion and global revenue hit $42.5 billion, following the novel coronavirus pandemic.”

A Shift to Outdoor Models

Backyard movie theaters boom in coronavirus https://t.co/0YBU7eVYVB #FoxBusiness pic.twitter.com/O4M0lyxcL9

— Delta Fox (@DeltaFo33823525) July 29, 2020

As the pandemic persists, the movie business joins restaurants and fitness studios in turning to outdoor models. Drive-ins across the country have started to operate under similar guidance as outdoor recreational activities.

“The renaissance of drive-ins is something that nobody could have predicted. But nobody really knew that we needed it that badly,” said film critic Joe Neumaier to Fox Business. “It makes the communal experience of movie-going even more special. To sit with strangers in the dark and watch stories projected is the magic of movies.”

Molly Parker, the Overstock.com vice president of category experience, said that sales of outdoor recreation and entertainment goods have increased throughout spring and summer, as reported by Fox Business.

“I think that right now we are all trying to maintain a sense of normalcy and getting outside to enjoy the fresh air with the family feels normal,” she said.

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