Jared Gilman, one of the child stars of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom, cautions against going to watch the re-release during the pandemic. Gilman played the role of Sam in the coming-of-age tale alongside Kara Hayward's Suzy. The story follows the star-crossed pre-teen lovers who escape their dreary lives on a New England island just before a once-in-a-lifetime summer storm is set to descend. Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Bob Balaban, Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand fill out the impressive adult cast.
The movie is one of Anderson's most divisive but remains an indie favorite for the whimsical and tender way it treats the protagonist's first experience of love. The trademark Wes Anderson whipsmart dialogue is also a highlight of the movie. The movie was recently included as one of the re-releases in Regal Cinemas re-opening plans following the worldwide theater shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Gilman has encouraged his followers on twitter NOT to go and watch him in Moonrise Kingdom at Regal. The 21-year-old actor retweeted Regal's re-opening lineup, which includes the 2012 movie, and said that as one of the lead actors in the film he encourages people not to go movie theaters during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it wouldn't be "among the best of ideas" at this point in time. You can see the tweet below.
Gilman's thoughts echo those of many around the world, who are hesitant to return to cramped indoor theaters where you are forced to sit close to others, whether or not they may have the coronavirus. The situation has gotten to the point where some analysts say theaters in some countries may well be closed until mid-2021. This despite Regal and many other chains saying they'll insist patrons wear masks when they watch movies.
The young actor isn't the only member of the movie world concerned about showing movies in theaters. Disney recently made the unprecedented decision to release the $200 million blockbuster live-action remake of Mulan on Disney+ due to fears over the pandemic, and Warner Bros. has been forced to rethink its release strategy for Tenet. All of this due to rational people like Gilman, who don't think it's worth contracting a deadly virus while watching a movie.
Gilman's sentiment is not unique. Theater owners across the world are increasingly worried that the age of cinema might be over thanks to coronavirus. With streaming services only happy to fill the entertainment gap left by the closure of theaters during the pandemic, the time when millions of people would happily head out to their local theater complex on the weekend might well be over. As the star of Moonrise Kingdom says, it's not the brightest idea at the moment.
Source: Jared Gilman/Twitter