The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has had sweeping effects in the public health, travel, and business sectors, among many others. Now, as around 70,000 cinemas in China are closing down due to the deadly outbreak, heaps of film release dates are delayed indefinitely, and Disneyland theme parks are shutting down around the world, the repercussions for the entertainment industry are clear. Though the predicament faced by global film industries may seem pale in comparison to the clear threat the virus poses to human life, the ripple effects do have implications for people and companies across the world making a living off of producing and distributing movies.
Recently, the studios and producers behind the latest James Bond film made a surprising announcement: No Time to Die, due for an April release, will be pushed back to November “after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace.” Following suit, Disney’s live-action version of Mulan, set for worldwide release on March 27, and Paramount Pictures’ Sonic the Hedgehog canceled their releases in China due to the prevalence of the coronavirus. As the Chinese film industry is a crucial quadrant for Hollywood productions looking to rack up worldwide grosses, the thousands of closed Chinese theaters have sparked widespread fears that early releases will be disastrous for viewership. With the epidemic also making its way across Europe and the United States, it is clear that the coronavirus has created much more than just a health crisis.
Though only a handful of movies have delayed their release dates as of March 11, many more are likely to follow the trend. Already, Paramount Pictures announced that the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise halted a planned three-week shoot in Venice.
Some Montgomery County students are concerned about the repercussions COVID-19 may have on the film industry. “Film studios plan the timing of movies years in advance, so if executives push more franchise projects further down the calendar, there could be a domino effect in which other future releases get delayed, which would be a disaster,” Richard Montgomery High School sophomore Maggie McDermott said.
If theaters around the world continue to close and audiences continue to stay away out of fear of being exposed to large crowds, the entire movie industry may very well have to treat 2020 as an unforeseen financial write-off. The Chinese box office has already lost an estimated $200 million this year, and is on pace to lose billions of dollars from the global pandemic. From lowered attendance at film festivals to delayed or canceled movie releases and curtailed on-location film shoots, financial ramifications will likely be felt by filmmakers, studios, and theater owners for many more for months, possibly years. As junior Hannah Levy from Richard Montgomery High School said, “The impact of the virus will be significantly noticeable internationally and continue to increase… Movie industries will sadly have to brace for a major hit.”
Article by Nicole Fang of Richard Montgomery High School
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