Poll Finds That Majority Of Moviegoers In America Aren't Ready To Return To Movie Theaters

Despite the fact that theaters are eagerly anticipating the debut of Tenet so that they can entice moviegoers back after months of closures, it seems many Americans are unsure about returning to their local multiplexes. In a poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of The Hollywood Reporter, 2200 people were asked for their thoughts on returning to theaters, and the results are definitely surprising.

As of right now, only 7% of people are "very likely" to return to theaters immediately upon reopening, while 65% are "very unlikely." Even looking two weeks beyond that, the numbers only change to 8% and 56%, and after a month, it's 10% and 48%. The bleakest part of tall of this is that at any point in 2020, these results are just 12% and 37%. 

This is disastrous news for companies like AMC and Cinemark, especially as they were struggling financially even before the pandemic. There's been a lot of backlash about the decision to make masks compulsory on both sides of the fence, and reopening dates recently shifted again after Tenet and Mulan were delayed (there's only so long theaters can survive on library content). 

Is this the beginning of the end for theaters? It's certainly not looking good, and studios may soon have no other choice than to drastically shorten release windows...or simply scrap them altogether.