Brandon Blake Entertainment Lawyer
Now that most of the United States has allowed its exhibition industry to reopen in some capacity, we’ve seen very positive trends among theatre-going numbers. It’s clearly considered a clean and simple night out of fun to destress from the panic of last year. With other parts of the international market reopen Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney today investigates the state of moviegoers’ enthusiasm.
Just this week we’ve seen huge swathes of the UK, as well as France, reopen theatres at 50% capacity, with chain representatives announcing that the capacity restriction should not significantly impact business as usual. But are patrons willing?
If pre-sale results are to be believed, the answer is yes. We’ve already seen pre-sales for many of the screens already set to top 2020 lockdown-lifting numbers in the UK. A recent Médiamétrie poll suggests 9/10 French citizens believe the movies are good for morale, and that 8/10 view it as a top cultural activity. 73% of poll respondents are willing to attend the cinema at the same rate as before. This echoes a Cinema First poll where 59% of respondents cite the cinema as their most missed entertainment activity.
Also in the cinemas’ favor, we see France push out their current 7 PM curfew by 2 hours, allowing later showings in traditional high-traffic spots. This will increase to 11 PM from June 9th, and it’s hoped by the end of June it will be eliminated altogether, together with capacity restrictions. As of May 19th, dining establishments- traditionally paired with a night at the movies- can reopen, with indoor dining following on June 9th, which should also encourage people to get back to business as usual. Currently, the end of June is set as the proposed full reopening date for much of France’s entertainment industry.
Will this be a temporary bubble of support, or something more meaningful? Only time will tell. However, for now, things are looking up for the exhibition industry globally in a way that seemed almost impossible a few months ago.
.
