Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said Hollwyood studios “are anxoius to get back in this business once safety is no longer a concern,” shrugging off Universal/Dreamworks Animation’s Trolls Wor…
It was a highly successful one for Universal, however, withbringing in about $50 million, according to industry sources, sparking unease at the chipping away of already narrowed theatrical windows post-pandemic.
But Zoradi, in a wide-ranging conversation about the nation’s third largest chain and exhibition in general on a conference call Wednesday, noted that“was the only real change” with all other big ticket films having postponed or delayed their releases dates until theater reopen. “Universal came out very clearly and made the decision when we were closing our theaters. They felt like they spent so much in marketing money and putting commitments like McDonald’s, that they had no choice.
Zoradi, the former president of Walt Disney Pictures, said he working extremely closely with the studios to manage the crisis and, for instance, expects to be showing high-profile library content as early as the last week in June for a staggered opening of theaters with limited hours gearing up for a stronger second half and a busy 2021 slate.
Asked if he thinks the release schedule next year is too much of a good thing, with perhaps an over-crowded release schedule of posponed films, he said no. “I don’t think we have that problem. … What is great is the way the system works is that the studios are masters at looking at the calendar and lineup and seeing where they want to go in relation to the competition.” He noted that some of the movies for 2021 have had delays in production and will get pushed into 2022.
Zoradi said he’s hopeful for a return to normal. He was at Disney during the SARS epidemic in 2003 and said it took a relatively short amount of time for people to bouch bounce back and return to theaters. COVID-19 is more infections and global than SARS, he acknowledged. but whereever “SARS was, theater going improved and came back rather quickly.”
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