From the Big Screen to the Couch and Back Again
After two years of decline, movie theaters might finally be coming back.
Local movie theater Twin Creek Cinema was one of many theaters that saw a boom in visitors this summer.
Comeback stories have always been a staple in the movie industry with theaters providing a home for these stories. Now it’s time for their own comeback.
This past summer movie theaters saw a huge increase in film-goers as many outstanding films were released.
This was a surprising sight as just two years ago it was not uncommon to see an empty theater. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the majority of people wanting to stay home with many major films going straight to streaming services.
This hit theaters hard with many closing their doors permanently. For a while the general consensus was that the movie-going experience was done for good.
This summer proved this not to be the case, however, with tons of people buying tickets to see the latest blockbusters. According to CNBC.com, box office sales generated $2.27 billion dollars between May and July, a number comparable with pre-pandemic summers.
The new boom in theaters started with “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” The film grossed $185 million dollars during its first weekend. This film was soon to be followed by many more well-performing films.
One such movie was “Top Gun: Maverick,” which made $248 million dollars on its opening weekend. The long-awaited sequel’s success was a shock due to the fact sequels tend to be hit or miss.
Another highly-watched film this summer was “Jurassic World: Dominion” generating $143 million dollars on its debut weekend. “Thor: Love and Thunder” also made an estimated $143 million dollars during its opening weekend.
The biggest surprise this summer though came from “Minions: The Rise of Gru” which had a $125 million dollar opening. The film broke the record for biggest July 4th weekend opening.
While things aren’t quite back to what they used to be, movie theaters as well as movie-goers are optimistic about the future of the theater industry. With highly anticipated releases such as “Don’t Worry Darling” coming out this September and the sequel to the highest grossing film ever, “Avatar: The Way of the Water” expected to be released later this year, movie theaters have a bright future ahead with hopefully an even greater comeback.
