If you had asked me a few months ago if cinemas/movie theatres still stood a chance in this age of streaming, my answer would have been a solid no. But I won’t be so dissident if you asked me the same question today.
Just last month, in Nigeria, home of Nollywood, Funke Akindele’s Omo Ghetto: The Saga, surpassed The Wedding Party to become the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of all time. The 2020 comedy flick has reportedly grossed over N468 million according to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria. And all of this happened in a pandemic, when more people than not are wary about leaving the comfort of their homes!
What this tells you is that human beings are social creatures. Though binge-watching your favourite series on Showmax from the comfort of your couch seems like the more appealing and convenient option, you’d sooner or later start to thirst for the great outdoors. And for movie lovers, nothing quite trumps the cinema experience.
There’s been an undeniable change in consumer behaviour since coronavirus hit, and production companies are reacting accordingly. In December 2020, Warner Bros. announced that its entire 2021 releases would arrive simultaneously in theatres and on its streaming service, HBO Max. Everyone from ViacomCBS to Walt Disney is pumping money and more resources into their streaming services, and understandably so. Streaming is in now and I daresay will be for a long time to come. But is it ever going to completely wipe out the theatre? Not likely.
Streaming is as yet to experience its first crisis or major setback. It has mostly been smooth sailing and there’s no telling how it will fare in the face of crisis. Movie theatres on the other hand have survived wars; and from the look of things, will also survive a pandemic.
And then there’s also the question of sustainability for the filmmakers and studios. WarnerMedia will reportedly lose more than $1 billion by releasing movies on HBO Max. Where up to 5 people can sign in to a Netflix account at 4,400 Naira a month to access unlimited content, what is the long-term benefit for the studios who pour millions of dollars into a single production? And even for the streaming services who buy the content?
Streaming may have come to stay but as has been repeatedly demonstrated, so has the cinema. But then, I guess the jury’s still out.