Is Going to the Movies Making a Comeback?

For a while, the future of movie theaters looked bleak. But now, the future of movie theaters is starting to look brighter. In the past year or so, there has been a noticeably large increase in people going to the movies. Movie theaters seemed to hit a rough patch for the past couple of years due to the pandemic. In 2020, for the first time in nearly 40 years, ticket sales decreased to 80% and the domestic box office grossed a minuscule 2.8 billion dollars in revenue, compared to 2019’s second-best box office haul ever, of 11.4 billion (Whitten). During the pandemic, people turned to the safety and comfort of streaming services. The easy accessibility of streaming services put into question whether movie theaters were still needed. Even after the lockdown was lifted, and movie theaters opened, people were still reluctant to go to them due to the continual spread of COVID-19. However, slowly, movie theaters began to gain traction. During the pandemic, people's only option was simply watching movies at home. But, with the lockdown lifted, people were given the choice to view movies in theaters once again and experience films in a unique group setting. 

In the past year or so there has been a sudden surge in people going to the movies. This year the box office grossed $9 billion, which is the highest it’s been since the pandemic (Ramishah). Movies like the live-action Little Mermaid, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Wonka, Priscilla, Ballad of the Song Birds and Snakes, Saltburn, and Anyone But You, along with many more, have been popular favorites in the theaters in the past year, and have gained significant positive media attention. So the question is, What caused this positive media attention and why are a significant number of people suddenly going to the movies again? 

When asking Needham High Students if they had been to a movie in the past two months, 65% of students reported that they had been to a movie theater. One Needham High student gave their opinion on movies that have come out in theaters or are coming out in theaters, saying, “I feel in the past the only thing some movies had going for them were that they were in the theaters and that was the last time I would watch them.” For the last couple of years, movies that have come out in theaters haven’t generally captivated people's attention. However, the student also said, “I think the majority of movies coming out recently have been really good and I would genuinely go watch some of them again.” Recently, theaters have become a more popular topic of discussion and have caught the attention of many. More possible reasons to explain the new boom in the movie theater industry could be that, for a while, movie production was put on hold because of COVID, so fewer movies were coming out.

Additionally, The Writers Guild of America strike that happened from May 2nd, 2023 to September 22nd, 2023 may have had an impact on the movie theaters as it delayed the production of movies and shows. The movies that have come out in theaters lately, are seeming to be better in quality and have captivated the attention of many. After a tumultuous last few years, movie theaters are once again becoming a place of unity, where one can appreciate the art of film.