Marvel movies will bring audiences back to theaters, says Chris Hemsworth. The Thor star is currently promoting his latest film, Extraction, from the comfort and safety of his Australian home, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
For so many people around the world, the arrival and persistence of the pandemic has ensured that day-to-day activities once considered typical are now on hold. Life has been reduced to the confines of home, with activities like going to see a movie – for the time being, at least - a thing of the past. Some have even wondered whether or not the way in which we watch movies will ever be the same again once the pandemic is safely behind us. It’s hard to say at this point what a post-pandemic film industry will look like, but one thing is for certain: there will be no shortage of productions clamoring for attention when cinemas officially reopen for business.
With the idea floating around that even once things return to normal, cinemas will have a tough time bringing in customers, the debate over how things will pan out continues to remain relevant. Some say theatres may never reopen and that streaming will instead finally claim supremacy. However, there are those like Chris Hemsworth, who feel that some franchises have the power to bring back audiences to the theatrical experience. While chatting with Inquirer, Hemsworth explained his faith in MCU movies, and their ability to draw huge numbers of people back to cinemas:
“Films [like Marvel] that you can best appreciate on the big screen, those will draw people out of their homes again."
Prior to the pandemic, Marvel and D.C. films dominated the box office, with each new title and sequel having, for the most part, little trouble at all getting fans into theatres. Like all other films, for the time being, a cease in production has left a substantial backlog of films just waiting to be devoured by eager fans. It remains to be seen if multiplexes can rely on the MCU and DCEU to build their business back up again, as it’s certainly arguable that massive franchises function best on the big screen and will have little trouble facilitating a return to normal. The odds do favor the ability of superhero franchises to get the global box offices up and running again, but what about those films that aren’t part of the MCU or DCEU?
Perhaps this is where the biggest issues lie. When the lockdowns and quarantines do become a thing of the past, there’s a very good chance that people will just want to feel normal again. Part of that return to normal will be doing things like going to the cinema to see a film. And while MCU, as well as DCEU fans, will be only too happy to support their favorite franchises at multiplexes, it’s the small scale and independent theatres as well as the films they show that will be facing the real challenge.
Source: Inquirer