Moving forward, for the time being, films are expected to continue being released both in theaters and streaming platforms. Here’s what to expect for new movie releases post-pandemic!

It seems things are moving forward in the movie industry as life returns to normalcy post-pandemic. Movie Theaters are open again and long-awaited films are making their debuts. However, with the vaccination rollouts still going, these films are now being released with the option of watching in the comfort of your own home as well – depending on if you have a streaming subscription or are willing to pay a certain amount.

The big question: how long will this strategy last for?

Most major movies, like the long awaited films such as A Quiet Place 2, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In the Heights, Black Widow, and more were pushed back into the summer of 2021 because of the delay in reopening movie theatres.

This caused companies to re-evaluate their release plans and how society would want to watch movies in the future.

Warner Bros. announced back in December 2020 that the plans for the summer included releasing all 2021 films to day-and-date rollouts in theaters and on the streaming platform HBO Max. However, Jason Kilar, CEO of Warner Bros has already made announcements that this is not the plan for 2022.

However, this doesn’t mean that franchises will return to the way things were before the coronavirus pandemic. 

Kilar stated in an interview with Recode Media that the plan is to return to a “Movie Theater release only” for the upcoming 2022 season. The new plan is predicted to instead release new movies in theaters and then change the release date to HBO Max within 45 days. Therefore keeping the relationship with the streaming service but bringing back a traditional theater going experience for viewers.

This is shorter than the pre-pandemic model of releasing films on streaming services several months after its release in theaters. It is also the tactic that Paramount Pictures adopted rather than the same day-and-date rollouts.

Unlike other studios that opted for the same day release tactic, Paramount Pictures very clearly announced that was not going to be their plan for their 2021 releases. A Quiet Place 2 was originally supposed to be released in March 2020, however the pandemic put a hold on that. More than a year later, there was some disappointment that the long-awaited film was released in theaters only, especially since some movie theaters are still being heavily regulated or in the process of reopening. 

The movie will be released in July on Paramount Plus for those who did not venture to the movies to see it, and will have no extra charge.

The dual release strategy began in 2020 but there is controversy on how long it will last. Disney+ attempted the dual release strategy during the beginning of the pandemic with the release of Mulan. According to Yahoo Finance, the number of streams of the movie within the first 15 days was less than what the company originally predicted the movie would make without a box office release. This set a record mindset for other movie releases during the pandemic, and most companies opted out, at least until theaters had the chance to re-open. 

Same day-and-date rollouts are only predicted to last the remainder of the 2021 year, but that can always be subject to change. As more parent companies continue to release their announcements for their 2022 plans. The relationship between streaming services and the box office is predicted to stay in place.

The pandemic changed a lot of things that were viewed as normal. If more Hollywood companies adopt the 45-day rule, then movie releases can reach a compromise for all viewers. Theater-going fans can still enjoy the experience of watching the movie on the big screen and those who want to watch in the comfort of their own home will have the option to do so sooner than before. 

Ultimately, streaming services are only expected to capitalize on their continued popularity. The relationship between both seems to be a necessity for the film industry’s success – and viewers are excited to watch what happens.