How Has COVID-19 Affected Hollywood?
COVID-19 has made 2020 the worst year in Hollywood history. We witnessed dramatic changes in how people watch movies, the demise of the theater, and the very essence of our industry, which was shaken to its heart. It's no surprise that Tom Cruise is yelling on stage. All in the world has changed.
People went to the movies for warmth and escapism both during WWII and after September 11th. We were held at home this year, away from a communal arts celebration. It harmed us greatly, and it harmed Hollywood as well.
In 2021, Warner Bros. essentially pushed all of its big releases to a new format, with them debuting simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters. Even after studios spent millions on P&A, most theatrical releases were pushed out of this year.
This infuriated filmmakers and disappointed a large portion of the general public. It was thrilling to have new content, but it depressed many of us, who missed the crunch of popcorn and the sound of a buzzing crowd around us.
Tenet was a box office flop, and most theaters remained closed or didn't show it at all. The domestic box office has dropped by nearly 80% compared to last year.
"Enhanced cleaning and staffing for coronavirus prevention could add more than $1 million to a typical movie budget," according to the Los Angeles Times. Many independent films were canceled as a result of this, and financiers and producers had to rethink a number of projects.
Movies like Mission: Impossible 7 and The Batman have been pushed back due to cast and crew members contracting COVID. What happened to those who lost their jobs as a result of movie delays or cancellations?
They were fired from their employers, lost their livelihoods, and in some cases, were evicted from their homes. There were guilds scrambling to find alternatives for out-of-work people, but no real solid solutions were available.
There's reason to be optimistic. The vaccine is already being sent to frontline employees, and you can bet that once we've gotten the workers out of the way, Hollywood will be first in line.
However, there is still much to be done in the future. Many early estimates placed this year's studio losses in the billions, while streaming services thrived. Hollywood must not only find a new path forward, but it must also collaborate with theater owners, or we will lose them.
There's a lot to deal with here, but there's more. This year in America, we were put to the test. People were eventually willing to confront race relations head-on. Since there were so many discussions that were begun but were halted due to the pandemic, Hollywood needs to band together to ensure that opinions are not silenced or dismissed when the industry reopens.
This will necessitate a concerted effort from all aspects of the company. We need to get back to producing healthy products and employing people. We need to follow #PayUpHollywood's lead and ensure that assistants are paid a living wage commensurate with their hours worked.
Everyone had a difficult year this year. We must return stronger, or we will never return at all. What are your hopes for the year 2021? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.
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