Are We Witnessing the End of Cinemas?

Usually, this time of year means the occurrence of Dump Months, the busy period of big film releases in time for the major awards. But this season, things are a bit different. Instead of a trip to the cinema for a date, or as part of a weekend routine, we’ve all been relegated to our living rooms, and Netflix has become the king of the big-ish screen – signalling, some say, the end of cinemas.

Whilst the idea of watching a film from the comfort of your own home might not sound too bad, it’s been very damaging for the cinema business. And although they were permitted to open from July, finding one to go to – and even harder, finding a good film to watch in them – became painstakingly difficult. Big releases continued to be postponed. From Disney’s Mulan to Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, the list of films postponed due to the virus grew longer and longer. Cinemas across the country needed a break, and in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, they found it. It was short-lived, though. The highly anticipated release provided some relief, but the combined acting talents of John David Washington and the legendary vision of Christopher Nolan just wasn’t enough.

Cinema bosses across the country, then, would have firmly placed their hopes in the release of the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. If there’s anyone capable of causing a global phenomenon, it’s Bond. His last two outings as the famed MI6 agent grossed nearly $2bn worldwide. So when news of the film’s postponement until November this year was announced, cinema bosses would have been understandably nervous. They needed Bond, and they needed him badly.

However, nervousness soon turned into desperation. China closed its cinemas – it had become Bond’s biggest market, with Spectre setting box office records. Where China led, others followed. It was announced that Bond will no longer be appearing on the big screen this year. No time to Die was further postponed until 2021.

With all hopes dashed, cinemas began to announce mitigating circumstances. Cineworld was to close all cinemas around the UK, with others turning off screens in some, but not all locations. For some industry experts, this was the end of cinemas in full swing.

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But one man’s sorrow is another man’s joy. And in the demise of cinemas, Netflix, Disney + and other online streaming sites found joy. Thanks to the ease of use and convenience, Netflix gained 16 million new subscribers at the start of lockdown. It’s stock price rose too; and with no end in sight for the pandemic, investors began pricing in positive results for the company and other online streaming sites.

For Netflix, the ability to attract big stars and to create films which rival those of major production houses has been a big help. From Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman to Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, Netflix’s ability to produce big-screen phenoms has made it popular with movie lovers of all ages.

In truth, the battle between cinemas and Netflix began before the pandemic. But with a global shutdown and little big-name releases, Netflix and other leading streaming sites are beginning to look like the clear winners.

Whilst streaming sites might have the upper hand in current circumstances, cinemas have the unique ability to attract the biggest releases. Box-office cinema is still a popular concept, giving cinemas the edge over their bitter rivals when everything is running as normal. But with uncertainty surrounding our return to normality, we may soon witness big movie releases like James Bond on online streaming sites. When that happens, cinemas might well and truly be dead. No more eager first dates at the movies, or a group of friends dying to witness the latest marvel adventure on the big screen.

Until then, though, cinemas may just continue to live and fight another day.

Until your next cinema visit, keep yourself entertained with these Netflix suggestions.