Will the great buzz created by the Oscars extend till the end of 2024? After all, the strikes of 2023 are casting a spell on the releases this year, as most films and shows that were delayed due to them are pushing their release dates to 2025. So, are we going to see more release-less weeks this year?
The Oscars were one of the biggest weekends of the year for Hollywood, but despite the good turnout and the great buzz for movies at the event, still there is a lurking fear in the hearts and minds of the film industry as there might be many release-less weeks in the coming days. The reason, one may ask – the Hollywood strikes of 2023.
Everyone is aware that the last year, mostly the film industry was not working for a long duration as shoots were stalled due to the strike by writers and then actors. That has to take a toll in the production of the films or shows as they might not be ready for a release as planned earlier. Most of the makers might have to push their release date to either later this year, or next year.
So, it might be possible that this year you might see weeks that won’t have any big Hollywood release, neither at the box-office or on OTT.
Talking of this summer, there is no blockbuster release to look forward to. Last year, ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ turned out to be a big-ticket release during the summer along with many others like ‘Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1’. However, this year only a few films might be able to boast of such an audience pull. ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool 3’ could be potential big winners, but that’s pretty much it.
“I think ’24 is going to be probably one of the worst of the last three years globally,” said Tim Richards, CEO of Europe’s Vue cinema chain as reported by Indian Express.
The ticket sales have been affected this year in the US and Canada.
However, some are hopeful that the film industry will catch up and things won’t be as bad. “I think it’s going to be a catch-up game,” senior analyst Shawn Robbins said as reported by Indian Express.
Some even are saying that it’s not going to be any different from 2023. “The outlook by the prognosticators is overly negative. I think that if you line up the ’23 slate against the ’24 slate, it looks very similar to me,” said IMAX, CEO Richard Gelfond as reported by Indian Express.
However, everyone is optimistic of having a great 2025. Most of the film and shows which got delayed due to the strike might finally see the light of the day next year. Also, big OTT giants like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video have also committed to theatrical films.
So, let’s wait and watch how 2024 turns out to be.