Edgar Wright has made a passionate statement on what fans of cinema can do to help the big screen experience survive recent shutdowns. Wright, a director who is best known for his popular films Shaun of The Dead and Baby Driver, has recently been busy with his horror project set in London, Last Night in Soho starring Terence Stamp, Matt Smith, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jojo Rabbit star Thomasin McKenzie. The horror film has a scheduled September 25, 2020 release date. However, amidst all the reshuffling and delays in theatrical releases, that may not be a certainty for Wright and Focus Features now.
Since the threat of the coronavirus has risen greatly, social distancing and quarantining has been encouraged, which has led to the entertainment industry taking a big hit. Countless film productions have paused, such as The Batman, there have been delays for multiple marquee releases, and even the box office income for last week was of a record low, and theaters/cinemas in the United States and the UK have now shut up shop until further notice. The National Association of Theater Owners and their 150,000 employees have asked the government for an emergency bailout due to them still having to pay rent, and employees not having the luxury of working from home. In the UK, smaller cinemas like Curzon are focusing on their Curzon Home Entertainment platform. However, it’s proving to be an incredibly dark time for theaters, and Wright is offering suggestions to help these places in their time of need.
In an article he wrote for Empire, Wright spoke about how special the experience of watching a film in a cinema was, writing that “really experiencing a movie meant getting my arse off the sofa, going to the cinema, sitting down with friends or strangers.” Wright noted that coming back from these shutdowns may be “tougher than ever,” but he then gave suggestions on how “a fan of cinema” can help during this time. “One way of showing your unwavering support is to become a member of your favourite cinema. After you’ve read this, why not buy a membership for yourself, or for someone close to you. Buy some gift cards. Donate where you can. Consider, if you can afford to, not asking for your unlimited subscription to be refunded.”
The advice Wright has given is quite obvious in some respect, but a passionate statement coming from such a big name within the industry may encourage those more financially capable to help those at risk of losing their jobs. Also, high profile names within the film industry rely on their films releasing in theaters across the world and bringing in droves of people, so it makes sense for them to do their part, as well every day fans of the big screen experience.
Although Wright’s advice, which he would later go onto take further by listing UK cinemas on Twitter, seemed to be more aimed at supporting UK cinemas, but it is advice that can be followed around the world as well. Interestingly, this comes at a time where the stars of Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg also released a video playing off references to Shaun of the Dead, encouraging fans to follow the coronavirus precautions, while doing it in a comedic manner. It’s great to see the team of Shaun of the Dead doing their part to not only bring a small bit of entertainment during this time but also encourage ways to support integral parts of the film industry like local theaters. Plus, if all goes well and we end up at the big screen with Wright, he does state in the article: “Giant Buttons are on me.”
Source: Empire