Hollywood SKWAREZ
While the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the film industry is facing a perfect storm of commentary as the US presidential election hoves into view.
On the one hand, Hollywood wants US government financial support for cinemas—which have had to close or offer only restricted services as a result of the pandemic—claiming that they are vital to getting films out to the market. On the other hand, those same studios have bled those same cinemas dry, leaving them to eke out a living selling overpriced concessions.
The cinemas suffer from being needed by an industry that doesn't love them. In the meantime, more titles are premiered on streaming services in preference to, or alongside, limited theatrical release. This limits the audience to those that have a subscription to the service in question.
I can't help but think that this will dampen enthusiasm for the upcoming awards season.