Initially, I wasn’t going to talk about it, but after looking into AMC’s open letter which was posted I believe 7 days ago, it’s without a shadow of a doubt that we’re witnessing the beginning of the end for theatrical releases as digital streaming continues to prove more profitable for movie makers.
So long story short, Universal released Trolls World Tour on digital release, and in three weeks, the Trolls sequel had made them more money for Universal Pictures than the original did during its five months on in theaters. Naturally, this would make any business think twice about the prospect of their revenue model going forward. The CEO of Universal decided that going forward to release their films on both theaters and digital. Logically, that makes sense. If you want to go to the cinema, you can! If you’d like to chill at home and watch the latest and greatest films as it releases, you can do that too! It’s a win-win for everyone.
However, that did not please AMC, who then wrote an open letter calling the act traitorous and banning all Universal Pictures film from being screened on their theaters. Not only that, but they also extended that threat to every studio even thinking of betraying them. This a clear sign of things to come. It always makes AMC look weak!
Just like how CD became obsolete when MP3 became a thing, and then streaming, so too will the need to go see a film in theaters dwindle as more people opt to stay at home and watch it there. It’s the classic case of ” I don’t like change” from AMC. Whether AMC likes it or not, the future already in motion. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO are gunning to be the next hotspot for watching high-quality movies online, and with Universal Picture’s latest surprise success with their Trolls movie, it only serves to strengthen that transition.
The moment AMC wrote that letter, it solidified that reality. Digital Streaming is a massive threat to them in the long-term and if they don’t adapt soon, they won’t be able to stay viable in the long run. Yes, they will lose a huge junk of their revenue, but that doesn’t mean that they’re going out of business..yet! People still like the idea of going to the cinema with figured as an outing, so all AMC has to do is continue to give these people a reason for it. Like investing in 4DX and the likes would make them more enticing to moviegoers.
This is going to be very interesting. Let me know what you guys think!
