2020 has brought with it quite a few unforeseen “alterations” (so to speak) that have unquestionably affected everything and everyone this year. Among these drawbacks involved the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the movie industry around the world.
In the U.S., film festivals have been cancelled or postponed and movie release dates have also been moved to later times, or delayed. Additionally, film productions for desperately-awaited movies have been slowly restarting recently or temporarily suspended due to the health concerns of COVID-19. Major studios have also chosen to release films on demand or to subscription video-on-demand services. All these factors have proved to dramatically affect the conditions of cinema.
Unfortunately, many movie theaters have either closed down for the time being or have already gone out of business. Because of the fact that studios get more gross intake from digital releases than theaters (about 80%), they have been hurting theaters a great deal. Moreover, they have no content to engage viewers and more significantly, to compete against streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu.
As a result of the troubles that movie theaters are facing across the country, many film companies and directors have grown concerned about their condition now and in the future. In the NBC News article, “Amid film delays and movie theater closings, can Hollywood be saved?”, it states, “The National Association of Theatre Owners, the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association and more than 70 directors, producers and writers sent a letter asking House and Senate leaders to extend relief to theaters.”
If the status quo continues, 69 percent of small- and mid-sized movie theater companies will be forced to file for bankruptcy or to close permanently, and 66 percent of theater jobs will be lost.
Stated in the letter sent to House and Senate Leaders
On a more positive note, movies that we have been waiting for these past months have either been released already or will be very soon! Below is a list of upcoming films in 2020 and 2021 in the U.S., along with information on their specific release dates.
Free Guy
Starring Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy, this movie is about a man named Guy (main character played by Reynolds) who discovers that the world around him is just a video game called Free City. In an attempt to get help from his 13-year old self in order to prevent the game from going offline, he meets his dad back in time who is now the same age he is.
Release Date: December 11, 2020
Wonder Woman 1984
In the DC sequel of Wonder Woman Diana, played by Gal Gadot, faces two major villains including her former friend, the Cheetah who craves power and becomes evil, and a media businessman named Maxwell Lord. Along with this conflict, she is faced with an unexpected twist of events- the reappearance of her long-lost love.
Release Date: December 25, 2020
The 355
A group of five female international secret agents, played by actresses such as Lupita Nyong’o and Jessica Chastain, all team up on a grave mission to salvage a weapon that would be used by a global organization to drive the world into chaos.
Release Date: January 15, 2021
Without Remorse
John Clark (Michael B. Jordan) was previously a Navy Seal and now works for the CIA. In this film, he “seeks revenge after his girlfriend is killed by a Baltimore drug lord.” He later discovers that he is involved within a bigger problem pertaining to a sweeping conspiracy.
Release Date: February 26, 2021
Other films scheduled to be released later on in 2021 include, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Morbius, Bios, A Quiet Place Part 2, Black Widow, The King’s Man, The Many Saints of Newark, Godzilla vs Kong, Cruella, Venom, Top Gun: Maverick, and F9.
Sources:
https://collider.com/ryan-reynolds-shawn-levy-time-travel-movie-netflix
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