3 creative ways to bring movie theatres back to life

Cinemas are on their knees! Between streaming shows being so competitive, tickets becoming more expensive, and the pandemic training people to wait for movies to be released online, tinsel town ain’t sparkling the way it used to.

As someone who loves a trip to the cinema, this is worrying. In fact, I was inspired to write this blog by the closure of my favourite local cinema! Things are bleak, but I wouldn’t start rolling credits just yet. I thought of three ways for cinemas to pivot and adapt to this modern landscape.

Only some people who go to the cinema respect the cinematic experience. This can lead to poor behaviour in cinemas  (excessive talking, using bright screens, recording/sharing footage on socials, etc.) Because the audience experience is communal, bad behaviour affects everyone.

One future I see for cinema is a theatre experience that caters to the people who love going to the movies. Facilities would be cleaned regularly, bad cinema etiquette would be handled swiftly by cinema staff, movie merch and collectibles would be sold in every cinema, and all the screens would be premium.

Now that kind of experience wouldn’t be cheap, but I think a lot of people would be willing to pay for it regardless.

You could argue that streaming is playing a big part in the slow decline of cinema, but as a wise person once said, if you can’t beat ‘em, charge people to watch their content on your screens! 

Netflix already gives some of its movies a limited theatrical release, but I’m thinking series too. Imagine your local cinema hosting a binge session to screen the final season of Stranger Things or the next season of Squid Games on their debut weekend. 

It could be part of a paid package for Netflix subscribers, and considering the quality of some of these shows, a big screen and an audience could elevate the watching experience.

Cinemas could also team up with streamers for bundled packages where they could see a certain amount of movies per month as part of their subscription. You could watch trailers & book cinema tickets directly through streaming services.

Though they seem like enemies, I think theatres and streaming services actually have a lot to offer each other, and a partnership between them could be a win for everybody.

The third and final future for cinema is definitely the least glamorous, but arguably the most practical. If cinemas were to make it a little more cost-effective to rent out a screen for your private event, people would do it more. 

You could have movie nights with friends, private screenings for up-and-coming talent to see their work on the big screen for the first time, host live sporting events, or networking opportunities for aspiring film talent,  the possibilities are endless! 

As well as bringing in paying customers, this strategy would train people to see things on a big screen, gradually healing the damage done to the film industry by the pandemic. 

These ideas are all about preserving & reviving  the film industry. As the landscape of show -biz changes, cinemas have to adapt if they want to survive. This could mean a departure from decades of established film culture, but it could also lead to some pretty exciting innovations in the industry.

Which of these options do you think would be most profitable, and which one would you prefer personally? Share your thoughts in the comments! 

If you liked this blog, you should read about my ideas for the future of netflix plans!