Image courtesy The MoCo Show on Instagram

Regal Rockville movie theater and other theaters struggle to bring in viewers. Online movie streaming platforms deter viewers from watching movies at in-person theaters.

Picture this, it’s 1977 and you’re sitting in a theater to watch a little film called “Star Wars.” The theater is packed with crowds of people, long lines, popcorn and other snacks.

The box office opening for Star Wars was unheard of at the time and instantly became a big blockbuster hit. Even more recently, with the release of “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, there were crowds of fans gearing up to watch, online ticket sites crashing and there was general excitement to sit in a packed theater with other fans. But, movie theaters haven’t been able to reach these highs anymore since the pandemic with the exception of the Barbenheimer trend with the releases of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”

More and more movies have become box office disasters. So why are people not going to the movies anymore?
This past summer, there were several box office bombs including “The Flash” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Reviews for these films were not great and were mostly mixed, along with having poor marketing. These films were also part of large franchises leading to franchise fatigue.

In recent years, there has been a surge in movie ticket pricing, which has been turning people off. Additionally, movies hit streaming services and digital weeks after films are released in theaters, barely giving these movies room to breathe. “More recently I have been waiting for movies to go to streaming because it’s easier than going out to theaters and needing to purchase tickets,” junior Charles Freedman said.

Another possible cause of the decrease of moviegoers is the rise of streaming services. Several years ago, there was only Netflix and Hulu, but now there are countless services such as Disney Plus, Max, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus. Moviegoers don’t have to wait long for their anticipated movies to hit streaming anymore. “With the wide range of [movies] you can find online, there really isn’t a point to the movies,” sophomore Tyson Nakashima said.

Although people like to wait for movies to hit streaming, there are still avid cinephiles who will choose a movie theater over their home television. “I prefer the movie theater over streaming because the sound and image quality is much better on the big screen than in my house,” Freedman said.

Marvel films, Star Wars films, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” were able to garner a massive opening for themselves, showing that “event” movies are what get people’s butts in seats. “I prefer movie theaters for overall experience,” sophomore Theo Gittleson said.

In the past few months, there had been the SAG-AFTRA (actors’ union) strike and the WGA (writers’ union) strike. This has impacted the production of new films and shows, as well as the actors being able to promote their films. This could potentially be another major factor in people not going to the cinemas, especially for those who want to support the actors and the writers in their negotiations with studios. The strikes could be yet another hit to movies and their box office revenues.Disney Plus, Max, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus. Moviegoers don’t have to wait long for their anticipated movies to hit streaming anymore. “With the wide range of [movies] you can find online, there really isn’t a point to the movies,” sophomore Tyson Nakashima said.

In the past few months, there had been the SAG-AFTRA (actors’ union) strike and the WGA (writers’ union) strike. This has impacted the production of new films and shows, as well as the actors being able to promote their films. This could potentially be another major factor in people not going to the cinemas, especially for those who want to support the actors and the writers in their negotiations with studios. The strikes could be yet another hit to movies and their box office revenues.