One year after the Covid-19 pandemic, Hollywood studios and cinemas are hoping for a recovery.
Some theaters in two of America’s largest box office markets, New York and San Francisco, will open this weekend after closing for most of last year. As cities slowly reopen to public spaces and more Americans receive vaccines for Covid-19, filming is poised for a comeback, although there is still a long way to go before all the nation’s screens flicker.
Theater owners are getting ready. Some Hollywood directors are advancing the release of films that have been delayed. And for films scheduled to open in theaters in the coming weeks, customers ‘interest in returning, plus box office results in New York and San Francisco, will begin to test the wisdom of the studios’ unprecedented decisions in the last year – namely , premiere of films simultaneously in cinemas and on digital streaming services.
Cinemas in other US countries have been open for months, including Florida, Texas and Ohio, but the box office results have been bleak. The largest few movie markets in the US account for a large percentage of box office revenue when a movie is released.
“The adrenaline is definitely pumping and certainly excited about the reopening,” said Scott Rosemann, who runs the Angelika Film Center in New York in the fashionable SoHo area, as well as two other theaters in the city. “Given that we should have all US adults vaccinated by the end of May, it gives me great hope that we will have a successful summer season.”