WHAT IS UP WITH MOVIE THEATERS RIGHT NOW?

Let’s say it is a Friday night, and you want to see a movie with a few friends. So, you pull out your phone and look up what is playing at local theaters, only to be hit with “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Hocus Pocus,” and “Paw Patrol.”

There is nothing wrong with these particular movies – but they aren’t your style, or are definitely not new. I mean, why go to the theater to see something that you can just stream at home?

The ability to stream movies has impacted our world; some viewers will argue it has even improved it. However – to have easily available any movie that you could possibly imagine between Netflix, Max, Disney+, and more – what is the point of even going to the theater anymore? If it were not for the (few) new movies, popcorn, and theater experience itself, you would not catch me in those uncomfortable seats.

What’s more, theaters don’t seem to even have new movies right now! What is up with that?

This frustrating issue is something that not only we consumers are facing, but mainly the thousands of unionized writers and actors.

Not only are these people wanting fair pay for their work, but they’re also posing the new question, “Do I get paid for streamed films?”

This question has been asked in the form of two long union strikes this year, where workers are refusing to pump out any more creative pieces until something changes in the industry. A key

point of these strikes is to obtain higher compensation for workers, set limits on use of AI in films, and to keep more jobs in their related fields.

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One strike involved the Writers Guild of America (WGA) while the actors’ strike is taking place among members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – SAG-AFTRA for short.

This means, any actor (and, prior to Sept. 26, any writer) belonging to their respective guild cannot work on any production projects.

How does this affect me, and other would-be movie (and show) watchers?

Well, with no writers to write scripts, four nearly five months there was nothing new being produced in Hollywood. Which helps explain the delay on Season Five of the famous Netflix show “Stranger Things,” or canceled episodes of an American favorite, “Saturday Night Live.”

At the same time, with no actors available to perform in movies and TV shows, popular productions like “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” and “Wicked” are simply not possible right now. Some movies are even finished and ready to hit theaters but are being held back due to their stars not being able to attend premiere screenings or to promote the films. Among these projects are the film “Dune: Part Two” and Disney’s “Echo” mini-series.

Will the situation ever get better?

The good news is, there is already light at the end of the tunnel. The WGA already reached a deal in late September with major Hollywood studios to end its strike. This does not include the SAG-AFRA, but if the writers were able to draw up a deal, it does seem possible the actors will follow suit.

Meantime, this is why we are seeing theaters showing old movies – re-colorized, with better sound, or in 4K. The reworked films provide some jobs for other filmmakers, such as sound designers, colorists, and the like, while they provide a quick way for these Hollywood

companies to make money, since they are not really producing much else right now. Not to mention, they’re at least something, to keep the public happy.

So, hang tight, guys – I’m sure we will see more new movies soon.