Tucker’s Movie Tavern Welcomes You Back to the Movies

When COVID-19 forced movie theatres to close for the past year, many of us relied on streaming services for our entertainment while sheltering at home. But viewing a blockbuster on the small screen is no substitute for that big-screen experience, and avid movie watchers are once again settling into theatre seats with popcorn in hand to enjoy the latest in Hollywood productions. This is clearly evident at Tucker’s Movie Tavern by Marcus, which re-opened to the public in March.

“Watching a movie in a theatre is more than just about the movie,” said Marcus Theatre’s president, chairman and CEO Rolando Rodriguez, in an interview with Our Town DeKalb in July. “It’s about the total social experience. People missed the emotional connection they experience as part of an audience watching a movie. We all remember the emotional thrill we shared watching ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in 2019 surrounded by other Marvel fans. After eighteen months of social isolation, we are all anxious to reconnect with other movie fans like that.”

As the pandemic forced many into their homes and shuttered entertainment venues like movie theatres, streaming services saw their business surge. The Wall Street Journal reported that the combined number of U.S. subscribers for the major streaming services increased more than 50% since this time last year. Streaming services and their homebound audiences seemed like the ideal solution for studios with plenty of product on the shelf but no theatres for release. Warner Brothers most notably announced it would begin releasing all of its movies simultaneously in theatres and on its HBO Max platform, starting in December 2020 with “Wonder Woman 1984,” originally slated for a June 2020 theatrical release but delayed multiple times. With more and more movies moving to a day and date release on streaming services, industry analysts began predicting that with the re-opening of the theatres, audiences would prefer watching even the big blockbusters in the comfort of their homes. Rodriguez disagrees – and early box office returns show he may be right.

“’Fast and Furious 9’ had a pandemic-best opening at the domestic box office, with $70 million earned in its opening weekend as a theatre-only release,” reported Rodriguez, “and ‘Black Widow’ made over $60 million in video-on-demand sales on Disney+, in addition to the $80 million the film made at the domestic box office. Both of those films are proof that while the pandemic did boost streaming services, people are excited about a return to the theatres.”

While Warner Brothers has stuck to its hybrid distribution plan, many stakeholders in the industry have pushed back against it. Actor and filmmaker John Krasinski has been most vocal about delaying films for theatre-only release; his sequel “A Quiet Place II” was delayed a year until it could see a theatrical release, and a video from him explaining his reasoning prefaced the film. “John spoke person-to-person to theatre owners about his decision to delay,” recounted Rodriguez. “He emphasized his faith in the theatre industry and how he believed strongly in its ability to come back from the pandemic.” While studios may continue to play with various distribution models over the coming months, Rodriguez believes that support will continue to grow for theatre-first release, especially for big projects, such as Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, the 25th James Bond outing “No Time to Die,” and Marvel Studios “Eternals,” starring Angelina Jolie. “No matter how expensive or advanced your home theatre is, nothing compares to the giant screen and the thundering sound of the movie theatre for experiencing these effects-laden films.”

What can Movie Tavern audiences expect in the post-pandemic theatre experience? “Safety is the top concern,” said Rodriguez. “We worked with health and government officials, both on the local and national level, to make sure we could keep our customers safe in our theatres.” While cleanliness had always been a top priority for Marcus, sanitation protocol has been raised to even higher levels, with stringent and thorough sanitation of seats, floors, trays and even handrails between viewings. Limited touch systems are available for both ticket purchases and food orders, with both available through online ordering. Menu items can be ordered for at-seat delivery or picked up at the counter at time of purchase.

Marcus also implemented the “Marcus Private Cinema” program during the pandemic, allowing moviegoers to book their own personal auditorium for a safe, fun and stress-free social gathering. This service will continue postpandemic; moviegoers can book online for one price for a group of up to twenty people, and food and beverage orders are placed online after booking the movie. (Visit ticketing.marcustheatres.com/privatecinema to book a Private Cinema experience.)

Rodriguez gives full credit to Movie Tavern associates for keeping the business alive during this difficult time. “Since we own most of our theatres and the real estate, Marcus Theatres was in a good financial position prior to the pandemic, which helped us weather these past very difficult times. But we couldn’t have reopened in the spring without our loyal associates, who stuck with us through the closing and then returned to get us ready to safely welcome back guests.”

Movie Tavern by Marcus is located in Northlake Festival Shopping Center (4043 Lavista Road in Tucker). The theatre has eight screens, including a SuperScreen DLX auditorium with an oversized digital screen and Dolby Atmos multidimensional sound, all equipped with DreamLounger recliner seating. Weekly specials include $5 Movie Tuesdays, $6 Student Thursdays, and Young at Heart $6 Senior Matinee Fridays. Visit marcustheatres.com/theatre-locations/movie-tavern-tucker for details.

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