The covid-19 lockdown impact on the film industry

First published Lockdown Edition (Issue 22), Radar Magazine

It’s strange to think that Disney+ was released in Britain on the 24th of March 2020, the day after Britain was officially put into the national covid-19 lockdown. The lockdown wasn’t a marketing ploy to try and get people to subscribe to Disney+, it was merely a coincidence. Yet, it definitely didn’t help aid the cinema industry through this treacherous time.

Image: Felix Mooneeram

As cinemas are not seen as an essential business, they have been forced to close for prolonged periods of time throughout lockdown. Cinemas, like many in-house businesses, have taken the brunt of the lockdown restrictions. They have no online alternative, after all it is the cinema experience that separates them from the competitive streaming giants. With a lack of customers resulting in numerous job cuts, the cinema industry has been hit very hard with the covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Meanwhile, streaming services are flourishing. Within two months of Disney being released in the United Kingdom, over 5million British households subscribed to the platform. Meanwhile, Netflix has approximately 13million British households subscribed to them. As viewers were able to watch new TV programmes and movies, even when the cinemas are shut, streaming services have been an extremely popular entertainment source during lockdown. Disney+ even released a new film, Soul, on Christmas Day last year, which proved immensely successful with many households watching it across the world.

As lockdown has put a halt on production of new content, there have been some episodes of programmes and films that have had to be put on pause until it is safe to film. This has affected both cinemas and streaming services. With highly-anticipated films such as Fast & Furious 9 and Minions: The Rise of Gru, being proposed to have a release date later this year. Meanwhile, the screen adaption of Wicked has been delayed indefinitely. Not only do these delays leave fans disappointed but it also leaves the film industry to struggle. In particular, cinemas, who depend on the profits of these big blockbusters which attract the largest audience figures.

We are unsure of how the film industry will cope with any further lockdowns. As

always, we advise our readers to obey the latest government covid-19 lockdown rules. However, if you are able to support cinemas by choosing to go and watch a film there, rather than at home, then please do. We need to support our local businesses, especially during this crisis.