Coronavirus is going to change the movie industry forever

The on-demand revolution just got accelerated

Movie tickets.
(Image credit: Illustrated | iStock)

We are beyond the point of things ever realistically going "back to normal" after the coronavirus outbreak. Many facets of life will be irrevocably changed, even if the situation doesn't reach the worst-case scenarios that experts are predicting. Flaws in America's sick leave policies and hospitals' preparedness have been exposed. "Office culture" for the sake of office culture has been rendered unnecessary. We will likely never live through a period again where people don't wonder about when the next pandemic could hit.

The film industry is another part of life being dramatically reshaped in response to the unfolding global health crisis. At first it seemed temporary, with simple changes being made to the release calendar as the pandemic scared more and more moviegoers away from theaters — the new James Bond film, the live-action Mulan, and Marvel's Black Widow have been pushed back months, the ninth Fast and Furious delayed a full year. Now, though, faced with bans on movie theaters that could stretch for months, major studios are exploring forms of distribution other than the traditional theatrical pipeline.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.