NATO spokesman hints at theaters reopening for free?!?
Mar 26, 2020 15:02:57 GMT
theravenking, Rey Kahuka, and 1 more like this
Post by politicidal on Mar 26, 2020 15:02:57 GMT
And by the way that's the National Association of Theater Owners, not the Cold War alliance.
"...The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) is witnessing firsthand what happens when the movie industry undergoes a complete shutdown. NATO is lobbying Congress in an attempt to secure funds and loans to keep movie theaters across the country in business as the finish line for the coronavirus pandemic remains far out of sight. The organization is also following developments from around the world in an attempt to figure out how to move forward when this is all over.
In an interview with Screen Rant, NATO's chief communications officer Patrick Corcoran suggested movie theaters may open for free when they're back up and running again. That idea is taking a cue from some theaters that have been able to reopen in China and have done so at no cost to the consumer while showing old movies. If movie theaters have the stability of money coming in the form of loans or a bailout, it may not be a bad idea to remind consumers why it's exciting to see movies on a big screen or with a large group of people."
Read the full quote from Corcoran below:
We're working on it. We are working on it. We're looking at what's been happening in China. In the provinces that were least affected, they're starting to open their theaters, and they're open for free to patrons to coax them back. The movies they're showing are older ones. We will see... It's going to depend. We're both local and national markets, and our main distribution partners are very interested in national releases as opposed to local ones, so depending on how this virus goes, and whether it's more severe in some places and lifts sooner or later, that's all going to go into it. We're looking at ways to reach out to our patrons and also to our studio partners about the best ways to message and roll things out once we're back up and running.