During the pandemic in 2020, movie theaters all across the nation were struggling to stay open. COVID-19 threw a wrench in the production schedule for all new to-be-released films, from Hollywood productions to indi-films, and many small towns across the nation watched as their local movie theaters faced the threat of closing down. Fortunately, local movie theaters began taking advantage of a strategy that would help their business stay open, selling movie tickets with spaced seating to showings of re-releases.
Re-released movies in cinemas have been a common occurrence for decades. Popular movies like The Titanic and The Lord of the Rings are a few examples of re-releases celebrating the anniversary of their debuts. These days, re-releases are becoming more common, and it’s arguably thanks to the hinderances that the movie industry has been facing with the pandemic and the writers’ strike. It may also be, however, that the general audience of moviegoers has a sweet spot for simple outing activities that bring nostalgia. Let’s explore all the events that are leading us into the age of re-releases.
The Impact of the Coronavirus
It goes without saying that the rise of the coronavirus impacted far more than just the movie industry. Governments all over the world strongly advised against gathering in crowds, this included sporting events, festivals, and other community activities aside from movie theaters. As a result, people who stayed at home in quarantine had to look for ways to entertain themselves. One way was to stream movies at home.
Streaming movies at home was already becoming a new trend; however, the global pandemic accelerated the process by taking major blockbusters out of the theater and delegating them to streaming services. According to Forbes, in 2021, streaming services such as Disney Plus, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon saw an increase of nearly 250 million subscribers, a 26% increase from the year before COVID-19 in 2019. Meanwhile, the movie industry accounted for only 15% of global entertainment revenue compared to 2019’s 45%.
It became clear that the rising trend of streaming, coupled with quarantine advisories, was having a devastating effect on the movie industry. Nevertheless, at-home media entertainment was also affected, as popular TV shows were postponed or canceled. Film and TV production came to a slow, grinding halt. What would people then do to entertain themselves when they couldn’t watch the latest seasons of their favorite TV shows or streaming series? The re-release of older films in theaters was indeed an option, so long as theaters were filled to 50% capacity to follow quarantine guidelines.
Writers on Strike
As fate would have it, streaming services would find themselves in the middle of controversy yet again, as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike. In short, the dispute revolved around the notion of increasing budgets for streaming series while the writer’s payments continued to shrink, leaving them with no other option than to walk out to have their demands met for fair payment. The WGA continued this strike for 148 days until an agreement was met on September 27, 2023, when it ended. While this strike was mostly about streaming services, it would actually have an impact on major motion pictures as well.
Movie theaters at this point were still struggling to make a recovery after COVID-19 quarantine restrictions were finally lifted. However, the 2023 writer’s strike yet again caused movie production schedules to be delayed, and this slowed down theatrical releases. As a result, movie plexes relied on their previously used strategy, “the 30-day comeback” to stay open during COVID-19. They would continue re-releasing classic films to have people return to theaters.
Sweet Memories to Share With Loved Ones
Some movies never die and will continue to be cherished by future generations. Sharing classics allows for inter-generational bonding and connection. Some of the most noteworthy films, like Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and The Princess Bride, are all masterpieces widely accepted by audiences even today. This is mostly due to how well they are referenced in everyday life conversations with quotes like, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto” and “The lives of two little people don’t add up to a mountain of beings in this world, Ilsa.” Quotes such as these carry meaning and have younger people curious about their origins.
Final Thoughts
Why are re-releases trending now? There’s no simple answer to this question, as many events played a role in shaping the rise of re-releases. Re-releasing old and cherished films played a huge part in sustaining the movie industry, as quarantine restrictions prevented people from crowding the box offices.
The writer’s strike caused further delays in releases, and with streaming on the rise, banking on nostalgia seemed to be the only way to get people to return. Yet nostalgia itself is more than enough of a reason to have people go to the movies. The older generations are eager to share their experiences of seeing movies they love on the big screen with their future generations of loved ones.
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