Like everything else in 2020, the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic were experienced by the film making industries across the world. With the delaying of film releases, closure of theatres, and the surge in popularity of streaming platforms, the future of movie theatres were put into question.
Fortunately since late August 2020, movie theatres have witnessed a resurgence in popularity, with certain releases proving that movie theatres still have a lot of magic left to unravel.
Here’s a look at some films that gave a boost to movie theatres and the worldwide box office amidst the pandemic.
Tenet
Widely anticipated since its announcement in 2019, Christopher Nolan’s science-fiction epic was widely construed as the savior of cinemas once the pandemic was imposed over the world. Nolan, who is a known advocate of the theatrical experience, saw Tenet ultimately being released in a staggered pattern globally starting from late August 2020, delayed from an initial July release. While its earnings were naturally lower than Nolan’s prior films, and was termed a box office bomb, Tenet grossed $363 mn, giving a necessary boost to the box office.
Godzilla vs. Kong
The 2021 flick featured an epic clash between its titular titanic creatures, which struck a chord with audiences’ desire for escapism in troubling times, and emerged as a winner in the process. Godzilla vs. Kong was a surprising and monstrous hit, with critics and audiences praising its entertainment value, that earned $470 mn, despite a simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming platform.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The third installment of Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man trilogy had a lot of goodwill and hype from the audiences’ side who were promised the prospects of earlier portrayals by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield of the character would return to team up with Tom Holland, along with a medley of other returning players. No Way Home lived up to and delivered on the hype, enthralling audiences, breaking box office records, and by grossing $1.09 bn, became the first film post pandemic to cross $1 billion.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Audiences everywhere were excited at the fact of director Sam Raimi helming a Marvel film again, and the fervor surrounding the film’s potential through its title, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness proved to be an exciting break away from the Marvel formula, employing its directors stylistics in its presentation. The film ultimately generated $955 mn, despite facing a lack of release in countries such as Saudi Arabia and China, the latter being a profitable market for Marvel films.
Top Gun: Maverick
Like Nolan before him, star Tom Cruise also is a proponent of the theatrical experience, likewise defending his Top Gun sequel from being released on to streaming platforms. Released in 2022 after being delayed from an initial release scheduled for 2019 owing to production complexities and pandemic difficulties, Maverick proved to be worth the wait. With audiences from all age groups flocking to catch it in theatres, the Tom Cruise latest soared to a gargantuan gross of $1.043 bn, and climbing, becoming the biggest hit of the year, a rare feat in an industry becoming increasingly marked by superheroic and interconnected blockbusters. Top Gun: Maverick became only the second film whose grosses crossed a billion in the pandemic era.
Texts of A Pop Culture Buff 