Moviegoers Not As Confident Returning To Theaters According To New Poll

[banglabhai420]

Moviegoers are not as confident about returning to theaters as they were earlier in the year, according to a new poll. After enduring an extremely difficult 2020, the film industry was hopeful 2021 would mark the beginning of recovery for the theatrical marketplace. While it will be some time before the box office returns to 2019 levels, there were encouraging signs during this summer movie season. Titles such as A Quiet Place Part II, F9, and Black Widow all performed well given the circumstances, illustrating audiences were willing to go back to the multiplex to see the year's most-anticipated films.

Despite this, there are still reasons to be concerned. Over the past couple of weeks, the Delta variant spread has caused new COVID-19 cases to rise across the United States. This new spike has already left an impact on Hollywood, with Paramount delaying Clifford the Big Red Dog indefinitely. None of the other fall titles have been pushed back yet, but it's a situation worth keeping tabs on. Studios will probably take notice of new data regarding audience comfort levels

A report in THR cites a new audience poll where prospective viewers were asked if they were comfortable going to a movie theater. Across all demographics tallied, percentages were down from data compiled on July 11, which marked the pandemic era high for audience comfort level. The latest numbers are from an August 1 poll. Check out the statistics below:

All Moviegoers: 70% (81% on July 11)

Males Under 25: 78% (88% on July 11)

Males Over 25: 71% (82% on July 11)

Females Under 25: 75% (87% on July 11)

Females Over 25: 62% (72% on July 11)

While THR notes studios are not "flipping the emergency switch" right now, the figures are likely somewhat worrisome. If the Delta variant continues to spread and audience concern rises, it may lead to more fall movies getting delayed. The new Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer curiously left off the film's scheduled September release date, instead simply stating the sequel will come to theaters "this fall." That fueled speculation Sony is considering pushing it back, since they're not committing to a set window. It will be interesting to see what happens with other projects like No Time to Die and Marvel's Shang-Chi and Eternals. The latter recently had a TV spot that reaffirmed its theatrical exclusivity this November.

That audience confidence levels concerning movie theaters dropped this much in just a three-week span illustrates how fluid a situation the COVID-19 pandemic is, making the next couple of months borderline impossible to predict. The hope is the current spike in new cases is the worst of the Delta spread and things will get better in the early fall, but that remains to be seen. The only thing that can be said with any degree of certainty is that studios are in a precarious position as they try to figure out what to do with their massive tentpoles amidst a global health crisis and an ever-changing industry landscape.

[Silent Watcher]

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