Canadian movie theatre owners say they91裸聊视频檙e nervously watching for developments in dual Hollywood strikes and plan to show more classics, cult favourites and live events if the labour disruptions stretch on.
The owners are expecting striking stars represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and talent backed by the Writers Guild of America, to be on the picket lines for months as they seek better wages and protections from artificial intelligence.
The strikes, which immediately stopped the production and promotion of films and television shows, stand to slow down the flow of content as studios and distributors run out of movies completed before the strike to release.
91裸聊视频淚 am absolutely petrified about it,91裸聊视频� said Jeff Knoll, chief executive of Film.ca Cinemas, an Oakville, Ont. theatre.
91裸聊视频淲e barely survived the pandemic91裸聊视频nd we are quite nervous about what the future is going to hold with all that91裸聊视频檚 going on in Hollywood right now.91裸聊视频�
This week alone, Knoll91裸聊视频檚 theatre has scheduled screenings of 91裸聊视频淢ission: Impossible 91裸聊视频� Dead Reckoning Part One91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淚ndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,91裸聊视频� along with the hotly-anticipated 91裸聊视频淏arbie91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淥ppenheimer.91裸聊视频�
Knoll, however, fears that flow of Hollywood fare moviegoers have waited months, if not years, to see could ease up soon.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 no question that if the strike drags out, (studios) are going to have to either start spreading out their content or simply postponing it until a point in the future when they anticipate the strike will be over,91裸聊视频� he said.
Even if they don91裸聊视频檛 switch up their release schedules, Knoll thinks theatres will be hit hard by a lack of promotion around films.
The strikes are preventing stars from walking red carpets, participating in press junkets and interviews and taping new marketing materials.
The cast of 91裸聊视频淥ppenheimer,91裸聊视频� for example, walked out of their premiere in solidarity with striking workers last week, while Disney sent Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Maleficent and Cruella de Vil down the 91裸聊视频淗aunted Mansion91裸聊视频� red carpet in lieu of stars Tiffany Haddish, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson over the weekend.
Knoll also suspects 91裸聊视频淢ission: Impossible 91裸聊视频� Dead Reckoning Part One91裸聊视频� had a rough ride at the box office because of the strikes.
91裸聊视频淚t didn91裸聊视频檛 perform the way it was supposed to perform over the weekend and it could very well be because there wasn91裸聊视频檛 as much publicity with the stars, particularly Tom Cruise, leading up to opening day.91裸聊视频�
If films do slow down, Knoll said he will toy with bringing in more Canadian fare and movies from parts of the globe not as impacted by the strike. Bollywood films and screenings of hits like 91裸聊视频淗arry Potter91裸聊视频� could also factor into Film.ca91裸聊视频檚 schedule.
Corinne Lea, the chief executive of the Rio Theatre in Vancouver, also plans to get crafty with programming, but said it91裸聊视频檚 nothing new for indie theatres.
Before the strikes, the Rio had to wait between three and six months to screen some films Cineplex, the country91裸聊视频檚 biggest cinema chain, had for months.
As a result, the Rio often screened new films months after they were released and relied on a rotation of previously released fare, burlesque and drag shows and Canadian hits.
Its July calendar shows 91裸聊视频淪tar Wars91裸聊视频� screenings, a 91裸聊视频淕rease91裸聊视频� singalong and Jean-Luc Godard91裸聊视频檚 1965 New Wave drama 91裸聊视频淧ierrot le Fou.91裸聊视频� Hundreds of people show up to its classic screenings of hits like 91裸聊视频渢he Rocky Horror Picture Show,91裸聊视频� Lea added.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e used to not being able to get current content,91裸聊视频� she said.
91裸聊视频淭his strike is going to hurt Cineplex actually more than it91裸聊视频檒l hurt us because all the theatres that actually rely on current content are the ones that are going to have a problem. But because we91裸聊视频檝e been denied access to it for so long, we91裸聊视频檝e become these like creative shape shifters.91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�
In May, when the 11,5000 film and television writers represented by the Writers Guild of America walked off the job, Cineplex chief executive Ellis Jacob didn91裸聊视频檛 expect the strike to have a material impact on its business.
Network TV and streamers, whose content is completed shortly before it is released, tend to feel the brunt of such strikes, not theatres, he reasoned.
91裸聊视频淚 always say to people yes, it will impact us, but it91裸聊视频檒l take a long time to impact us,91裸聊视频� Jacob later told The Canadian Press in an interview.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e talking three years from now because a lot of the movies are already in process of being produced.91裸聊视频�
In an email, a Cineplex spokesperson said, 91裸聊视频淟ike everyone in the industry, we hope that SAG-AFTRA and the WGA can come to a quick resolution with the AMPTP.91裸聊视频�
As for Knoll and Lea, they are anxiously awaiting any new developments in the strike.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 definitely one that we91裸聊视频檙e all keeping an eye on,91裸聊视频� Lea said.
91裸聊视频淚 think everyone is nervous.91裸聊视频�
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