| Would you go to a movie theater if it opened tomorrow? Theater owners think so. Chains across the U.S. and Europe are opening slowly, and almost every major chain plans to open by the middle of July. Regal, the second-largest chain in the U.S., will open on July 10. AMC, the largest chain, will open July 15. They are opening even as some businesses, including Apple, are closing retail stores due to rising coronavirus cases in many states. For all the talk of a second wave in places like China, the first wave never ended in this country. And yet, state and local governments have allowed restaurants, hair salons, bars and gyms to resume business – subject to certain restrictions. Are we ready to reopen? Nobody knows. Being indoors with lots of other people doesn't seem like the safest place, especially since some chains weren't going to require masks. (They changed their minds after a public backlash.) Enforcement will be lax. Can you imagine being the poor usher who has to tell people wearing a mask is not a gross violation of their civil rights? It's clear a lot of people are just getting tired of quarantine, and want to go back to "the way it was." You can see it in the traffic on the roads, rising carbon dioxide emissions and falling TV ratings. TV viewership has plummeted over the past couple months, as has streaming video consumption. Hollywood studios aren't even sure reopening movie theaters is a good idea. Warner Bros. has delayed the release of Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" by two weeks, asking Disney to fall on its sword first. Disney is supposed to release "Mulan" July 24, but it could also move. It's already pushed "Mulan" once. It's obvious why theaters are eager to get back to business. Many of the chains carry a lot of debt, and some are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. It's less clear why studios are going along with it. Disney reported a 92% drop in profit last quarter, and has already sunk a ton of money into the production and marketing of "Mulan." By releasing the movie, it can claw some revenue back. But there is no way a movie opening at theaters that are 75% empty can make as much money as a movie that opens in a full theater. (The same goes for musicians playing drive-in concerts.) Theaters have argued that their venues are usually less than 20% full, which is a little misleading. Their occupancy rates are low because they are open at 1 p.m. on weekdays, and offer plenty of movies that no one wants to see. Popular new releases sell out on opening weekend. Meanwhile, Hollywood studios are all still working from home, and none of the major movie studios has started production on a new movie. They don't want to ask their employees to gather in close proximity. They don't want to ask movie stars to do so either – at least not yet. They are, however, willing to ask theater employees and patrons to take that same risk. – Lucas Shaw  Source: www.twitch.tv/sofitukkerofficial Source: www.twitch.tv/sofitukkerofficial The best of Screentime | 
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