Screendollars

Our industry news roundup covers various articles on the re-opening of cinemas in the US and around the world. We point to two profiles of New York drive-ins that began their 2020 season shortly after the state gave the green light for drive-ins - but not yet indoor theatres - to re-open to the public. Cineworld/Regal announced plans to open up their theatres in early July, timed so they are fully operational with updated ticketing and sanitization procedures before the major Hollywood releases hit later that month. We highlight an announcement from Netflix that it has become a co-owner of the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, adding to a portfolio of marquis movie houses, which began last fall with its acquisition of the Paris Theater in Manhattan.   We also include a preview of Christopher Nolan's thriller Tenet, whose July 17th release is eagerly anticipated by the world of exhibition.

This week's Gower Street column focuses on the recovery of cinema in Hong Kong, as one possible example of how movie-going may recover in the US and other markets. Cinemas in Hong Kong re-opened with restricted capacity beginning on May 8th, and fully 85% of locations were up and running within a few days. By last weekend (May 21-24), Box Office had climbed to over $1M, well ahead of earnings from either of the last two weeks in February before theatres closed down.  It's encouraging to see such strong interest by the public in returning cinemas, even with extensive social distancing measures in place. 

In the Hollywood Report, Martin Grove looks forward to the 7/1 release of Unhinged from Solstice Studios starring Russell Crowe. This R-rated thriller, with an excellent trailer, may turn out to be just the tonic thirsty movie goers are seeking after more than three months at home.

We conclude with our film data tables: a list of the theatrical releases through the end of 2020, the latest studio release changes, the MPAA's recent film ratings announcements, and notable films launching on VOD, Virtual Cinema and Streaming platforms. We also highlight the notable new trailers that dropped this week on-line.