10 Insights About COVID-19's Impact On The Film Industry

Hello, reader!

Depending on where you are in the world right now, the coronavirus situation may be still raging, slowly getting back to normal, or gearing up towards a second wave because some jackasses just couldn't wait to go on a tropical vacation - in any case, I'm sure it's been a strange year for every one of us. The virus has affected every aspect of everyday life, and the world of cinema is certainly no exception.

Before the pandemic had hit my home country of Finland or many other countries in early March, I remember reading that the new James Bond film No Time To Die was being delayed by several months due to the pandemic, and I remember thinking "Whoa, that seems a bit excessive". Turns out they were just ahead of the curve, as soon afterwards movie theaters all around were being shut down for several months and all major releases were being either postponed or released straight into streaming. Here are some of my thoughts and observations on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the film industry!

10. The Oscar question

The 93rd Academy Awards, honoring the films of 2020, will certainly be affected by the coronavirus in more ways than one. There has been discussion in Hollywood on whether or not the ceremony will even be held - as of now, it looks like it will be held but the date was postponed from February 2021 to April 2021. In addition, the Academy has changed its ruling on eligibility; from now on, films that don't have a theatrical release and appear only on streaming are also eligible for the Oscars.

This makes sense: a few months ago there was no certainty on when the situation will return to normal and whether any new films would be released theatrically in 2020, and in that hypothetical situation the only eligible movies for Oscars would've been the films from the two first months of 2020 before the situation hit the fan. And I doubt no one was eager to see a Best Picture race between Bad Boys For Life (2020) and Sonic The Hedgehog (2020).

9. One really appreciates the work that goes into production

Following the film and TV industries during the pandemic has really reminded me of the amount of work that goes into all phases of filmmaking. It's obvious that movies that were being shot in the spring had to be put on hold, and finished films waiting for their theatrical release had to postpone their premieres, but I was surprised to see the middle step: in the world of television, many TV seasons that had finished shooting had to be postponed as well, as even the post-production couldn't be done under lockdown restrictions.

Of course there are exceptions: especially for shows that don't require massive visual effects, the graphics departments were able to do their work from home and the episodes were aired. But The Walking Dead (2010-Present), for example, had to postpone the release of its season finale by several months although it had been shot, because the post-production required to finish the episode was so demanding that the producers couldn't get the job done from home. Really makes you think about how much work goes into finishing the end product.

8. Marvel for the win

Movie studios have been scrambling to find new tentative release dates for their films that had to be postponed. When reading news of this, one gets the picture that Marvel is a massive ship steadily staying its course in stormy waters, while smaller boats are at the mercy of the sea. Marvel had to adjust their release dates just like any other studio, but they had such a good blueprint to work on that it didn't turn out to be much of an inconvenience: with several films planned for certain release dates throughout the next few years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe moved each film up a notch.

Black Widow, which was originally going to be released in April 2020, is now set for November 2020 - a slot previously reserved for Marvel's next film, The Eternals. The Eternals was then pushed to the May 2021 release date originally planned for Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, which in turn was pushed to a date originally meant for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness in November 2021. The folks at Marvel are experts at thinking ahead, and even in the face of this massive wrench in their gears, they seem to be pulling through with a solid plan for the several films they've planned for the future.

7. Everything got delayed - what does it mean for the future?

This is one that seems to be changing every day. With no clear answer on when things will get back no normal, release dates and beginnings of new projects are constantly shifting. Most of the major films planned for 2020 will either be released towards the end of the year, or in 2021. In summary, when I post my list of my most anticipated 2021 films next January, it might feature the same content as my list of most anticipated 2020 movies that I posted last January. Christopher Nolan's Tenet seems to be constantly getting postponed further, whereas Denis Villeneuve's Dune will be released in December. The Wonder Woman sequel got postponed from June to October, the 007 film No Time To Die from April to November, and Top Gun: Maverick from June to December.

Many films, such as Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark and Fast And Furious sequel F9 were delayed all the way from 2020 to 2021. In turn, many 2021 films have been delayed to 2022 - not directly because of coronavirus concerns, but because there are only so many release slots for each studio. Next year would be over-stuffed with new movies if all of its planned releases and all of the postponed 2020 films were to be released then - not that I'd complain about an overflow of movies, but I can see why it would be difficult for the film industry. The 2020 delays will likely cause a ripple effect that impacts the next several years in terms of new movies. Just think what this means for those films that faced multiple production delays even before the coronavirus - by now, I'm betting we'll be well into the 2040's or so before James Cameron's Avatar sequel sees the light of day.

6. Thank you, movies, for keeping us sane

Movies have many meaning to us. For some, it's entertainment. For others, it's a form of art. For me, it's both and much more, depending on the film. I've certainly watched more movies on average during the last several months than I usually do - especially during the most intense period of stay-at-home orders, they were somewhat of a coping mechanism. All of us have our own ways of keeping sane during a lockdown, and I suspect that watching movies and TV has been a part of the recipe for quite a few of my fellow humans.

Sometimes when the world feels bleak and overwhelming, the best thing to do is to take one's mind off it completely and maybe watch a nice comedy on Netflix. For others, the best way to unwind is to watch something more serious, as getting invested in fictional problems can easily take your mind away from real-world problems. These months have really made me appreciate movies on a whole new level, even when my original level of appreciation was pretty damn high. Cinema is a valuable thing, and the popularity of feel-good / escapist cinema during the corona era has proved that.

5. Zombie movies just got a lot more interesting

I remember watching the last The Walking Dead episodes to be aired before the finale got postponed, sometime in April. I've always liked the series, but never before have I felt so related to it. I kept having thoughts like "Man, these guys are experts at social distancing by now" and "Jeez, I hope this Covid thing is over before we start resorting to such extreme measures of survival". Thrillers about zombie viruses and other globe-sweeping pandemics have felt like a distant form of outlandish fiction in the past, but now there's something in the genre that feels very real.

Perhaps a good way to make lockdowns more interesting is pretending you're in a zombie thriller - going on risky supply runs for the good of your group, making sure your camp is sealed off, and constantly asking everyone if they've been infected. At the very least, I'm pretty sure none of us will ever see zombie films and pandemic thrillers in quite the same way, now that we've all lived through one.

4. New innovations

While many filmmakers have understandably delayed their new productions and are waiting for the corona era to pass, there are others who have used this situation as an opportunity to try something totally new - "make the best out of a bad situation", as my dad always says. Director Adam Mason has been working on Songbird, a Michael Bay -produced low-budget horror film shot entirely under lockdown restrictions and following the proper guidelines. Similarly, the hype is strong for Indian director Ram Gopal Varma's Coronavirus, a film about the pandemic that will have a strong sense of realism as it was also shot during the pandemic itself. For many filmmakers who want to keep on creating, this era has been a real test of creativity and imagination.

3. Streaming's big win

I already referred to this in #10, but the coronavirus pandemic's impact on streaming deserves its own entry on this list - it cannot be understated how much COVID-19 might affect the role of streaming in the movie world. Not just for the next few years, but for good.

Universal Studios were the first to make the bold step: instead of waiting to release the sequel to the animated film Trolls in theaters after the pandemic was over, they decided to release it straight into streaming. And that is why experts are saying that Trolls: World Tour has changed the movie industry forever in a major way - who would've seen that coming?

Trolls: World Tour made a lot more money this way, and now studios are questioning why they've been doing theatrical releases for all this time. As tragic as it is for people like myself who love going to the movies, it is very possible that the role of movie theaters will be significantly smaller even after the pandemic is over. If studios realize that they make better profits with straight on-demand releases, it could mean a major loss for movie theaters worldwide. Tensions between movie theater companies like AMC and movie studios like Universal have been quite high for the last few months due to this strange shift in dynamics, so we'll just have to see how this all plays out.

2. I Can't wait to see how movies tackle this

Director Kevin Smith was working on the script of his upcoming sequel to the comedy Mallrats (1995) when COVID-19 swept the world. A few months into the pandemic, Smith announced that Mallrats 2 will deal with the impact that the virus has had on the world of malls - and now I'm dying to see this film. One can only imagine the various ways in which movies will tackle the coronavirus - Oscar bait films about families struggling during the lockdown, heartfelt comedies about a man trying to get back to his family as traveling is suspended, sci-fi thrillers where a scientist travels back in time to stop the pandemic from happening, corona-era period pieces done 50 years from now of which my generation will angrily exclaim that they got the details all wrong - you name it.

The world of television also has an interesting opportunity on its hands. I'm sure that a lot of shows will ignore it and move on with their story, but I'm hoping that some shows (comedies especially) make at least an episode (or even a season) of their characters dealing with the corona era. Who wouldn't want to see the characters of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-Present) dealing with stay-at-home orders each in their own way, or It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-Present) doing a sequel to the beautifully aged season 9 episode The Gang Gets Quarantined? At the very least, I'm hoping to see some meta commentary about the virus on less serious sitcoms - Rick And Morty (2013-Present) were ahead of the curve as they already added a hilarious line about the virus into one of their new episodes this spring.

1. I really miss movie theaters

However the theater-studio beef shapes out, I really hope that movie theaters continue to be a thing in the future. I haven't been to the movies for several months, and it feels weird. The local cinema was closed for many months as were all cinemas, and even when it reopened a while ago, I still haven't felt the urge to go as I'm trying to play it safe with social distancing & there haven't been any new releases in the last weeks that I've been absolutely dying to see. When Christopher Nolan's Tenet is released at the end of the month, it will probably mark my grand return to the movie theater.

But seriously, it's been a bit gloomy to be away from such a special place for so long. Not being able to go the movies, coupled with news about the possibly diminishing role of movie theaters, has really made me appreciate the value of the cinema. There's just something so magical of going to see a film you've been waiting for forever, walking into the theater with a good snack and in good company, and sitting there in awe as the lights dim and the film begins to play on the big screen. So yeah, I really can't wait for going to the movies being a normal thing again.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my list of the top 10 greatest Robert De Niro performances.