IMAX Says We're Getting a Summer Movie Season

If you're like me, you're kind of tired of pushing farts into your couch cushions and making your own popcorn. You want to be back in the theater, but only when it's safe. As the vaccines across the world are rolled out, people are wondering when they'll go back.

But the people who might actually control when we can get back are the theater owners. They have to be in direct contact with the studios and plan for the future, especially after such a devastating year. 

The Los Angeles Times spoke with Imax Corp. Chief Executive Richard Gelfond, who had some encouraging words when it came to going back to the movies, saying, “I’m starting to dream of re-experiencing movies very quickly.”

We're all there with you, but the timeline is trickier than just the words. The real question is when can theaters be at full capacity? If you're a studio, you probably don't want to risk putting your summer blockbuster in theaters if there's no way you can get at least 50% capacity. 

New York theaters are already beginning to reopen, and California is loosening restrictions as well. According to the LA Times, "Though only 25% capacity is allowed at first, the development has increased confidence that cinemas will be more broadly open by or near the planned release dates of Walt Disney Studios’ Black Widow (May 7) and Universal Pictures’ F9 (May 28)."

When asked about the possibility of summer movies and of being optimistic, Gelfond said, “There’s no doubt in my mind we’ll have summer movies.”

He continued, “I think there’s been a lot of good signs recently.”

This is reason enough to be optimistic for me. We're coming off the first box office weekend in almost a year where a movie made decent money. Tom & Jerry did $14.1 million at the domestic box office. 

And the worldwide box office has been doing better, with theaters open in China and in Japan. 

So studios have to be excited about things getting back to normal. 

Are you excited to see movies this summer? What would pull you back to the theater? Let us know in the comments! 

Source: Los Angeles Times