The summer coming to an end, and almost every movie being delayed to the end of the year or next year. This is the first time ever we haven’t had a massive blockbuster summer with big releases. Last summer we saw the success of films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Toy Story 4. Its films like these that make the summer so fun, and with the pandemic still ravaging the world it’s difficult to see a the hot season without films like these being released. Luckily, we have managed to see some of these films skip the theaters and go through digital platforms. Films like Scoob!, The King Of Staten Island, Artemis Fowl, and Trolls World Tour have all jumped from theaters and onto digital. In this article, I wanted to take a minute to explore why the constant delay of films is costing companies more and more money, fan fatigue, and how they could re-release the films later in cinemas.
Also Read: Tenet Pushed Back 2 Weeks, New Date for WW84
Understandably, many films that are still a work in progress have halted production. Which is understood in an attempt to keep the cast and crew safe from the COVID-19 virus. However, there are many films that are finished with production and the editing process and had scheduled release dates but have consistently delayed the release date. As of the release of this article, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet has gone from a July to an August release to an indefinite delay with no new date announced. Most recently A Quiet Place Part II has gone from March to September to April of 2021. Wonder Woman 84 has moved from June, to August, and now October. Many other films have faced delays and this has just caused movies studios to spend more and more money on the film’s release. If they release the films digitally, they will be able to make some of their money back, while also not having to continue to spend money on anymore advertising. Consistently having to push the advertising of the film to keep fans ready and excited for the release of the film, which leads to the next part of this article.
Fans and audiences will always stay true and excited to some of their favorite actors or franchises. But these films can only be delayed so many times before the fans that are excited, start to lose that hype and feeling fatigue of excitement. A great example of this fatigue is the next installment in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men series The New Mutants. With an original release slated for April 2018, then moved to February 2019 in an effort to avoid competition with Deadpool 2, once again to August 2019 in another attempt to avoid competition with Dark Phoenix. Then when Disney acquired the rights of 20th Century Fox and the properties with it, The New Mutants was delayed again to April 2020. But then when the pandemic hit, the film is now set for August 28, 2020…. Hopefully. The point is that when this film dropped its first trailer back in 2017, fans were excited for a horror based X-Men film. But we have eventually gotten to the point where we are asking ourselves “Does it even matter?” Other films with multiple release dates now have felt the same way. We have already waited so long to see Black Widow, Fast and Furious 9 and Godzilla vs. Kong among the many others that we are wondering if we ever will get to see these movies. Or if it even matters to us anymore.
Lastly, I would like to speak on behalf of the loyal fans who enjoy the cinema experience. Movie theaters have been around for nearly a hundred years, with audiences continuing to go and support their local theater chains. There is a kind of magic behind sitting down in a dark theater and witnessing the incredible stories and performances before your eyes. The vibrations you feel from the surround sound when Godzillas roars. The incredible visuals and world building in films Lord of the Rings, Star Wars or Harry Potter. The opportunity to be a kid again, filled with excitement when you hear Captain America chant “Avengers… Assemble” as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes charge at Thanos armies. Moments like these will always give us reasons to come back to the theaters. Studios shouldn’t be worried about fans going to the theaters if they release their films on digital. Regardless, we will still want to go see the spellbinding story telling in Tenet, Wonder Woman take on fierce enemy Cheeta, and feel the spine tingling terror of A Quiet Place Part II and Candyman. If they release the films digitally now, there will still be those movie fanatics that will have to see these films in theaters. Not to mention, when the pandemic calms down. This will give audiences films to go see when theaters open again. Although some theaters have opened showing older films again, this way when all theaters reopen then we will have movies we are excited to go see.
We understand the delay of production. We believe in being safe and distant. But it’s time to release these films in theaters instead of continuing to delay them. Save yourself some money, try to make at least some cash back for the hard work your actors and directors have spent on their incredible work. Don’t keep dangling these in front of us, just to delay the films again. We will purchase your films online, and when the theaters open again we will even go see them again in theaters. But it is time to release these films, it’s time to see all of the amazing work that has been created.
