Opinion: Bring back movie theaters
Going to see a movie in theaters has become less and less common in recent years, but without movie theaters, the magic of film is lost
Jake Hills / Unsplash
Even before COVID, fewer people were enjoying movies in theaters. But almost nothing can replace the experience of seeing a movie in seats with a larger-than-life screen.
May 19, 2023
Since the pandemic in 2020 movie rollouts have changed significantly. From theatrical releases to home video, the difference in the way a movie is released highly affects the hype and success of the movie.
One of the main issues with the current state of movie releases is how it affects the success of a movie. This year movies such as Disney’s “Strange World” were released straight to streaming, but there was never much anticipation for the film. Even ads on prominent sites such as youtube didn’t bring much attention to the movie. Other movies, such as “Avatar: The Way of Water” went straight to theaters while barely having a trailer and were met with anticipation and excitement from the very beginning.
Not only has the change in movie releases affected the box office success of movies, but it has also caused unnecessary drama within Hollywood. When “Black Widow” was released in 2021, Scarlett Johanson sued Disney over the release of the film, and the idea that “Black Widow” being released on Disney+ would take away from the box office earnings of the film, thus taking away from her earnings.
In addition, the new way of releasing movies straight to streaming services takes away the magic of movie theaters. Going to the movies used to be special, whether it be a date, or just a family outing, going to the movies was a full event that included exclusive snacks, comfortable seats, and an extra air of magic that no home theater could provide. While the new standard of releasing movies directly to streaming was done in an attempt to provide entertainment during the pandemic, it has also taken away from the success and accessibility of movie theaters across the country.
Going to see a movie should be a fun activity. Movie theaters were made to entertain people, to give people easy access to high quality entertainment that couldn’t be found within an everyday home. As much as it’s the fault of Hollywood for not widely releasing new movies to theaters, there should also be more excitement from fans. People need to be more willing to set aside the time and watch movies the way they were intended as well.
