With films like Mulan no longer set to hit the big screen, theatre chains are relying on blockbusters like Tenet (originally scheduled for a July release) to generate public interest in going to the movies again. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Josh Ryan

Cinematic lull

Cinemas hoping for a spark amidst shutdown woes

Aug 11, 2020 | 6:07 PM

The North American staple of going to the cinema was quickly shutdown at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and aside from some limited showings of classic films, little has changed in the months since.

Now that new releases are set to return to Canadian theatres, it’s still up in the air whether or not that will provide the industry the boost it needs.

After studios continued to delay releases due to the shutdown of cinemas in California and New York, several companies announced a slow roll out for releases in other countries prior distribution in the United States. Canada will debut new films for the first time since March, with Unhinged and The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run being released this Friday.

Magic Lanterns Theatres President Tom Hutchinson hopes the country will continue to handle the pandemic more effectively than other nations. But there’s still many questions ahead, especially when polling in the spring indicated Canadians were more likely to go to restaurants than attend a movie theatre.

“The distributors don’t know, the exhibitors don’t know, the public doesn’t know, nobody knows,” he said.

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Hutchinson said it’s hard to describe the upcoming week as exciting, when precautions still prevent theatres from being able to fill most of the available capacity. Had he known the economic strife would have been this extreme, he would have closed theatres like the Capitol Theatre in North Battleford down for a full year, until things normalized.

“We certainly wouldn’t have chosen this sort of a year,” he said. “Because you can’t run a theatre on a reduced social distance basis and have it make any money.”

“But we’re going to do the best we can and provide everything we can to the North Battleford audience,” he said.

The Capitol Annex is getting ready for new films to be released this Friday, but still have limited capacity for audience members. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Another blow theatre chains received this month was Disney announcing the move of its latest tent pole release Mulan, a remake of the 1998 animated film, to the Disney+ streaming service, instead of the big screen. Hutchinson said Mulan, as a blockbuster film with a general storyline and appeal for five-year-olds to 95-year-olds, would have provided plenty of local interest. Had it hit the big screen, they would have been able to utilize multiple theatre rooms to meet demand, while maintaining social distancing.

“That’s a picture that would have had a good North Battleford audience,” Hutchinson said.

Despite the obstacles ahead, Hutchison said they’re happy to have an opportunity to show new releases. The Capitol Annex will continue to have showings for older films, such as Slap Shot on August 27, while also taking large orders for popcorn.

“We’re up against some challenges, but we’re doing our best to be original in our thinking and trying to make things happen,” Hutchinson said.

And while it doesn’t have the ideal pull for all demographics, the Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which has generated plenty of buzz throughout the pandemic, could provide some local interest.

“It will do better in downtown Toronto than in North Battleford, but we’re excited to play it,” Hutchinson said.

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josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports