See You Next Year
New movies continue to push back their release dates amidst the pandemic
STUCK WITH STREAMING SERVICES. Amidst the pandemic, many have indulged their entertainment needs with at-home services, such as Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. Although we all enjoy the comfort of our own home, it just can’t be compared to the sound, quality, and thrill of seeing a movie on the big screen. “Some movies are just made to be watched in a cinema,” said Emilio Garcia, 12. Photo sourced from Pexels
Do you miss the smell of hot, buttery popcorn, slurps of red Icee, and handfuls of candy while waiting for the newest movie blockbuster to start? Well, keep holding on to those fond memories because it may be a while before our cinema experience returns to how we best know it.
The cinematic universe was one of the industries decimated by the Coronavirus pandemic, with many concerns regarding staff and public health, theater closings, and minimal movie showing attendance have delayed film production and release dates.
According to CNBC, Warner Bros. recently announced that “Dune,” notably starring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, would now be released in October 2021 instead of on December 8, 2020. But “Dune” is only one of the numerous movies pushed farther back on the timeline for its first showing. Daniel Craig’s final act as James Bond in “No Time to Die” now expects to be in theaters on April 21, 2021, a year later than its original premiere date, says Vulture.com. Similarly, “A Quiet Place Part II,” “The Nightingale,” and “Top Gun: Maverick ” have shifted their release dates from 2020 to 2021.
Several other movies with initial debuts set for 2021 have been postponed to 2022, including “Jurassic World: Dominion,” “The Batman,” and “Avatar 2.” Originally planned to release in the summer of 2020, Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” currently holds a release date ambiguously labeled as “To Be Determined”.
The uncertainty and anticipation around film release dates disappoint many avid moviegoers, although the reason for their delay is well understood. “I was really looking forward to watching Dune and The French Dispatch… they both seem like really good movies,” said cinephile Emilio Garcia, 12
Other productions have decided to become available to the public in their own varying methods. For instance, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” was only released in select theaters in September, minimizing the number of screening rooms. Others have cut the theaters and hit streaming services instead, such as “Mulan” (Disney+) and “Greyhound” (Amazon Prime). It’s very possible that more movies may turn to streaming services if the return to theaters in the coming months and years seems unlikely and risky.
Sadly, the experience of visual entertainment at home versus in theater is anything but the same. “I like the experience and atmosphere of an actual movie theater better, the sound, the dimming of the lights,” said Maya Oduyoye, 12.
For now, we simply have to wait patiently for all the movies on our watch list to come out. But at least we can rewatch the trailers…over and over.
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