The Future of Film

By Manushri Bapat

Edited by Harvi Karatha & Hans Yang, Layout & Art by

It’s ironic how an industry holding major influence over American dayto-day life isn’t immune to global changes after all. It too, has to stoop down from its so-high-up and extravagant celebrity status level down to the likes of the mundane. It too, has to adapt.

Film and big-picture culture is a major defining part of the entire American identity. The 1960s-era’s picturesque aesthetic of cars pulling up to the drive-in movie spot (much to the dismay of parents). The indoor cinema experience: overly buttered popcorn spilling out onto the squeaky, dirty foldable chairs, pasting movie tickets into scrapbooks and photo albums, movies and the theatrical emphasis placed on going to see movies were a way to connect with friends and loved ones.

Considering the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected American economics and celebrity culture, the entire industry may see significant changes for years to come. It has had to adapt to the ongoing challenges, but these changes pose a threat to the industry’s already unstable future -- previously changed through the rapid emergence of offcable and on-demand platforms.

The industry attempted to curb the limitations placed on the moviemaking process throughout the early stages of the pandemic; for example, relying heavily on computer generated technology compared to live action acting. Number of people involved in the typically team-intensive activity of filming have also been tweaked in order to ensure safety: the set and production team now consist of a smaller group of people, and the position of “extras” has basically been removed (replaced by key figures on the production team).

Some anticipated movies impacted by COVID-19:

Antlers (release Feb 19, 2021)

No Time to Die (release Apr 2, 2021)

The Artist’s Wife (release TBD)

A Quiet Place II (release Apr 23, 2021)

The Beatles: Get Back (release Aug 27, 2021)

Black Widow (release May 7, 2021)

Cruella (release May 28, 2021)

Escape Room 2 (release Jan 1, 2021)

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Jan 22, 2021)

Greenland (release Dec 18, 2020, available for rental purchase)

Halloween Ends (release Oct 14, 2022)

The Flash (release Nov 4, 2022)

Godzilla vs. Kong (release May 21, 2021)

The Matrix 4 (release Dec 22, 2021)

Shazam! 2 (release Jun 2, 2023)

Tom & Jerry (release Mar 5, 2021)

Tomb Raider 2 (release TBD)

Wicked (release TBD in 2021)

Wonder Woman 1984 (Dec 25, 2020)

The Woman in the Window (release TBD)

The Tomorrow War (release Jul 23, 2021)

Thor: Love and Thunder (release Feb 11, 2022)

Star Wars (release Dec 25 every other year starting from 2023)

Some movies moved to a streaming service:

Artemis Fowl (Disney+)

The Lovebirds (Netflix)

My Spy (Amazon Prime Video)

Greyhound (Apple TV)

Happiest Season (Hulu)

Coming 2 America (Amazon Prime Video)

The One and Only Ivan (Disney+)

Mulan (Disney+)

Soul (Disney+, Dec 25, 2020)

Working Man (release May 5, 2020, on demand)

Although at the moment the future of film seems unclear, going forward, time will tell what is to become of the once cherished retro cinema experience: whether it may see a transformation or a cultivation of that of the previous and defining years. It may transition into that of the much more convenient couch-based streaming services and on-demand platforms. Whatever the case may be, COVID-19 has taught the film industry that it can’t rely on decades of success to ensure positive future indications.