COVID Can’t Cancel Desire to See Redemptive Stories on the Big Screen
By Movieguide® Contributor
In late 2021, movie audience numbers started to return to pre-pandemic levels, with 76% of people surveyed saying that they were comfortable returning to theaters.
However, in recent weeks, those numbers have started to fall as the omicron variant causes cases to spike throughout the world. Audience comfort levels dropped to 66% – the lowest it’s been since August, during the delta wave.
Movies like SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, SING 2 and AMERICAN UNDERDOG broke this trend, getting families back to the theaters. However, movies with excessive and/or gratuitous violence and “woke” elements like WEST SIDE STORY faltered at the box office.
As Movieguide® previously reported:
After nearly two years of COVID-19 related regulations, theaters across the United States questioned whether they could survive with limited attendance.
However, with the most recent Marvel installation SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME smashing pandemic-era and pre-pandemic box office records alike, theater owners are hopeful for the future.
While the larger cinema chains like Cinemark and AMC faced the challenge of filling seats, independent theater owners struggled to keep their doors open.
However, the influx of audiences excited to see the third stand-alone SPIDER-MAN movie with Tom Holland as the titular star led to full auditoriums for smaller theaters.
Theater owner Mark O’Meara, who runs the University Mall in Fairfax, said he was shocked when customers filled all 190 seats.
“I went in front of the crowd and waved my hands. I think we filled up because other theaters were sold out,” O’Meara told Variety. “We’re not as well known, and there were a significant number of people who had said they had never been to our theater before.”
“This is such a good harbinger for the future of the theatrical business coming out of the pandemic,” John Fithian, chairman of the National Association of Theatre Owners, said. “It’s fantastic news for the rest of the year and into 2022. We think this is a turning point for us.”
These positive movies are giving home to theater execs.
NRG executive vice president Ethan Titelman said, “We were all hoping for 2021 to be a major comeback year for the theatrical industry, but like many other aspects of our lives, this was a year full of starts and stops and we are all still assessing the long-lasting damage that the pandemic has caused. There were certainly bright spots, such as in October, when the box office performed at 88 percent of the average 2015 to 2019 levels. This showed that we can return to something close to normal with the right content and release strategies.”
He added, “There is also a realization that the world has forever changed. The bar for what type of movie is worth it in theaters has grown higher and higher; 2022 will be a crucial year to bring all audiences, especially older moviegoers, back into the habit of seeing [films] on the big screen in a communal setting.”
Movieguide® has dedicated more than 45 years to proving that movies with more faith and family elements sell box office tickets. As COVID-19 plagues the economy, businesses and families, it’s also affecting people’s emotional well being. They crave uplifting, redemptive content.
If theaters want to see a return to their seats, they will demand studios produce more family-oriented movies, which drive ticket sales. The only way for the box office to beat the pandemic is to put inspirational content on the big screen for all to see. Only then will moviegoers return to cinemas.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
