{"id":96214,"date":"2022-04-25T19:28:57","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T13:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centralrecorder.com\/5-things-to-watch-at-cinemacon-as-movie-theaters-hit-a-crossroads\/"},"modified":"2022-04-25T19:28:57","modified_gmt":"2022-04-25T13:58:57","slug":"5-things-to-watch-at-cinemacon-as-movie-theaters-hit-a-crossroads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centralrecorder.com\/5-things-to-watch-at-cinemacon-as-movie-theaters-hit-a-crossroads\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things to Watch at CinemaCon as Movie Theaters Hit a Crossroads"},"content":{"rendered":"
Sony will take a \u201dSpider-Man\u201c victory lap, Warner Bros. Discovery will make its debut, and fingers are crossed for \u201dAvatar 2\u201c <\/p>\n
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But with more competition than ever from streaming services and the film production pipeline still being rebuilt after pandemic shutdowns, the next year will see theaters make a push to reach pre-pandemic revenues despite 2022 ticket sales that still amount to roughly half of what was seen in 2017-19. What unfolds over the next two years will determine the new normal for moviegoing. <\/p>\n
Here are some of the things to watch at CinemaCon as it unfolds: <\/p>\nSony Pictures Entertainment chairman Tom Rothman (Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
1. Sony takes a victory lap<\/h2>\n
Sony isn\u2019t done singing the praises of \u201cSpider-Man: No Way Home\u201d and its $1.89 billion box office haul, and CinemaCon will be the perfect place for Sony Pictures chair Tom Rothman to take a victory lap in front of cinema owners eager to hear why movie theaters are still so vital in a post-COVID world.<\/p>\n
Because Sony doesn\u2019t have a streaming service of its own (unless you count selling movies like \u201cCinderella\u201d and \u201cHotel Transylvania: Transformania\u201d to Amazon Prime and other streamers), they\u2019re the perfect people to headline CinemaCon\u2019s opening night and tout how much they value theaters. In fact, Sony\u2019s execs last year did just that when they pointed to the success of 20th Century\u2019s \u201cFree Guy\u201d as an example of why theatrical exclusivity still matters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat film has done great business because, No. 1, it\u2019s terrific; and No. 2, you can\u2019t watch it at home on television! Go f\u2014ing figure!\u201d Sony\u2019s Tom Rothman said at Caesar\u2019s Palace last August. \u201cYou remember Bill Clinton and \u2018It\u2019s the economy, stupid?\u2019 It\u2019s the window, stupid!\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, now Sony can tow the same line but with its own films, not just \u201cSpider-Man\u201d but also Tom Holland\u2019s \u201cUncharted,\u201d which has made $389.5 million worldwide and is likely to get a sequel, as well as \u201cVenom: Let There Be Carnage,\u201d which cracked the $500 million global mark. And the studio will proudly stand behind theatrical exclusives like \u201cBullet Train,\u201d TriStar\u2019s \u201cThe Woman King\u201d and even more web slinging with \u201cSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Part One,\u201d which may still get a sneak preview even as it has been moved to summer 2023. <\/p>\n
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2. The Discovery era begins at Warner Bros.<\/h2>\n
CinemaCon will be the first public appearance of Warner Bros.\u2019 theatrical execs since the completion of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger this month and the arrival of new CEO David Zaslav. It will also come as Warner moves on from its 2021 day-and-date experiment with releasing films simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. While the former may be noted in the execs\u2019 speeches, don\u2019t expect any mention of the latter.<\/p>\n