Art House Movie Theaters Fight On Amid Pandemic

Theaters reopening in New York City this weekend did not set the box office on fire. North American theatrical grosses stayed relatively muted, despite some major new releases like Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” and Lionsgate’s Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley action flick “Chaos Walking,” according to studio estimates Sunday.Walt Disney Animation's “ Raya and the Last Dragon ” earned an estimated $8.6 million from 2,045 locations in North America.

Since J.J. Abrams‘ “Star Trek” reboot trilogy ended with “Star Trek Beyond” five years ago, Paramount has been trying to re-launch the franchise and keep the Enterprise afloat, with everyone from Quentin Tarantino to Noah Hawley and even David Cronenberg reportedly taking a shot at the popular sci-fi franchise.

Like a reluctant swimmer dipping their toes in the water to check the temperature, New Yorkers cautiously returned to the movies today.

Popcorn and all other concessions will not be sold at the IFC Center, at least for now. But films, actual films, will be projected on all five of its screens beginning Friday for the first time in nearly a year.

From the tantalizing smell of buttery movie theater popcorn to a sound system that puts store-bought soundbars to shame, nothing beats watching a movie in an actual movie theater.Watching movies at home is great, but honestly, nothing compares to watching it in an actual movie theater.

Dennis Harvey Film CriticThough there have been occasions to wish he didn’t write so much of it, nobody writes dialogue quite like Quentin Tarantino. We know that because so very, very many have tried, fueling a whole subgenre of blatant “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction” imitations that mercifully began subsiding around the turn of the millennium, but still pop up at least a couple times per year.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterAs an actor, Liam Neeson is in rare company these days. He’s one of the few stars with movies that have actually opened in theaters in the past 12 months.“We have streaming services, and they’re wonderful.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival said Thursday that its 2021 edition is being postponed until late August amid the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers said the new dates are Aug.

Jennifer Garner knows she and other moms have had a year of saying “No” to their kids amid the coronavirus pandemic — so she can’t wait to start saying “Yes.” In an interview with ET’s Kevin Frazier for her new movie, “Yes Day”, Garner opened up about the stress of raising kids in quarantine.

New York City movie theaters will have a big blockbuster available to them immediately when they’re able to open this Friday, as Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” will finally open on the big screen on March 5.“Tenet” will play at the AMC Lincoln Square, AMC Empire, AMC Kips Bay, Village East by Angelika in 70mm and Showcase Cinemas Jamaica.

There are some scheduling changes happening amid the pandemic.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterWarner Bros. animated family film “Tom and Jerry” debuted to $13.7 million at the domestic box office, one of the biggest opening weekend hauls of the coronavirus era and a signal that moviegoing may be on the mend.To be sure, it’ll take some time for ticket sales to reach pre-pandemic levels.

ordering all non-essential businesses to shutter following the discovery of the first COVID-19 cases in the city.But independently-owned theater operators say the reopening plan favors big theater chains that can afford the cost, such as AMC and Showcase, but hurts their small businesses. “That’s just a total loss of revenue by even opening. The overhead to run a theater is just tremendous,” said Harvey Elgart, owner of Kew Gardens Cinemas, Cobble Hill Cinemas and Williamsburg Cinemas.

Mark Zoradi, CEO of major exhibitor Cinemark and a former longtime Disney executive, sees some familiar elements on the summer release calendar, which he sees as a potential Covid-19 recovery turning point.

As the one year mark of the closure approaches, Governor Andrew Cuomo has officially given the green light for New York City movie theaters to reopen. Starting March 5th, movie theaters will be allowed open at 25% capacity and must follow the following protocol:These social distancing protocols are in accordance with the rest of New York State’s rules for theatres, put into place in October of last year.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefTwo Indian art house films, “The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs” and “The Village House” head the joint slate of a pair of new distribution companies addressing the North American market.Deaf Crocodile and Gratitude Films aim to give the two titles theatrical and digital releases in the second half of 2021, when it is hoped that North American cinemas are open and audiences return.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterFor the first time in nearly a year, New York-based movie theater operator Nicolas Nicolaou can breathe a sigh of relief. That’s because Gov.

Quebec has given the green light to movie theaters in the French speaking province reopening on Friday, in time for spring break by students and their families. But as a safety protocol amid the pandemic, movie theaters will not be able to sell food and drinks after the Feb.

Hollywood received a huge boost Monday upon receiving word that theaters in New York City — which have been shut down for nearly a year because of COVID-19 — will permitted to reopen March 5, albeit with strict restrictions in place. New York City is the country's second largest moviegoing market behind Los Angeles, and is crucial if studios hope to begin to recover from the pandemic.