PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The summer blockbuster season has been a tradition since the release of Jaws in 1975. But not this year because of the coronavirus pandemic forcing movie theaters to shutdown.
"Without having [the summer blockbuster season] it obviously has an impact on [our] bottom line," said President and CEO of iPic Theaters, Paul Safran, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens. The chain operates 14 venues, two of which are located in Delray Beach and Boca Raton.
The virus has paused the $42 billion industry including a summer tradition causing industry-wide delays, cancellations, or sending releases straight to PVOD (Premium Video On Demand) services.
Safran isn't worried about movies going straight to VOD. He says blockbusters with budgets of $150 million need the movie theater release, "[The business model for studios] is they have to play theatrically in order to maximize returns. People love to see movies at movie theaters, that's the only way you can truly get the true cinematic experience."
The pandemic is affecting some of Hollywood's biggest franchises including Indiana Jones, James Bond, Marvel, and D.C. Even Hollywood's A-list can't escape the pandemic's effects including actors like Keanu Reeves with his Bill and Ted Face The Music and sequel to The Matrix and Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible and Top Gun sequels.
Next week, two AMC theaters on the Treasure Coast will reopen and the newest title showing on the silver screen will be Unhinged starring Russell Crowe.
AMC Theaters Reopening Aug. 27 2020
- AMC Indian River 24
- AMC Port St Lucie 14
Unhinged featuring Russell Crowe.
Drive-ins have become popular, the Swap Shop Lake Worth has showings Thursdays - Sundays, the City of West Palm Beach is showing films in its parks, Hard Rock Stadium has converted its outdoor movie space, and Walmart has converted some of its parking lots into drive-ins.
City of West Palm Beach's Show on the Go Schedule
- Aug. 22, 2020 - Sonic the Hedgehog - PG - (Dreher Park)
- Aug. 29, 2020 - 50 First Dates - PG 13 (Currie Park)
- Sept. 5, 2020 - Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) – PG-13 (Dreher Park)
- Sept. 5, 2020 - Hook (1991) – PG (Currie Park)
- Sept. 19, 2020 - Monsters Inc. (2001) – G (Dreher Park)
- Sept. 26, 2020 - Moana (2016) – PG (Currie Park)
Safran said iPic, has opened some of its out of state locations and is ready to welcome back guests as soon as Palm Beach County allows the chain to open its doors. He said they have trained employees, will be doing temperature checks, enforcing mask policies, and cleaning with electrostatic equipment.
"We are optimistic that once a vaccine is readily available that things will start getting back to normal," said Safran.
New Movie Release Dates
Antebellum
Moved from April 24, 2020, to Aug. 20, 2020.
Antlers
Moved from April 17, 2020, to a date TBD.
Artemis Fowl
Moved from May 29, 2020, to June 12, 2020, and it will premiere on Disney+ instead of in theaters.
The Batman
Moved from June 25, 2021, to Oct. 1, 2021.
Bill & Ted Face The Music
Moved from Aug. 28, 2020 to Sept 1. 2020 on PVOD and select theaters.
Bios
Moved from Oct. 2, 2020 to April 16, 2021.
Black Widow
Moved from May 11, 2020, to Nov. 6, 2020.
Blue Story
Moved from March 20, 2020, to a May 5 video-on-demand (VOD) release.
Candyman
Initially moved from June 12, 2020, to Sept. 25, 2020, but is now scheduled for Oct. 16, 2020.
Deerskin
Moved from March 20, 2020, to a date TBD.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Moved from May 7, 2021, to March 25, 2022.
Dungeons & Dragons
Moved from Nov. 19, 2021, to May 27, 2022.
Escape Room 2
Moved from Aug. 14, 2020, to Dec. 30, 2020.
The Eternals
Moved from Nov. 6, 2020, to Feb. 12, 2021.
F9
Moved from May 22, 2020, to April 2, 2021.
Fatherhood
This Kevin Hart moved from Oct. 23, 2020, but is now slated for April 2, 2021.
First Cow
Although the new Kelly Reichardt film did start its limited release on March 6, 2020, A24 announced that they will rerelease the film theatrically later on in 2020.
The Flash
Moved from July 1, 2022, to June 3, 2022.
Free Guy
Moved from July 3, 2020, to Dec. 11, 2020.
The French Dispatch
Moved from July 24, 2020, to Oct. 16, 2020.
The Forever Purge
Moved from July 10, 2020, to July 9, 2021.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Moved from July 10, 2020, to March 5, 2021.
Godzilla vs. Kong
Moved from Nov. 20, 2020, to May 21, 2021.
Greenland
Moved from July 31, 2020, to August 14, 2020.
Greyhound
Moved from June 12, 2020, to July 10, 2020, for a release on Apple TV+.
Halloween Kills
Moved from Oct. 16, 2020, to Friday, Oct. 15, 2021.
Halloween Ends
Moved from Oct. 15, 2021, to Friday, Oct. 14, 2022.
In the Heights
Moved from June 26, 2020, to June 18, 2021.
Irresistible
Moved from May 29, 2020, to a June 26, 2020, VOD release.
Jungle Cruise
Moved from July 24, 2020, to July 30, 2021.
King Richard
Moved from Nov. 21, 2020, to Nov. 19, 2021.
Last Night in Soho
Moved from its Sept. 25 release to April 23, 2021.
The Lovebirds
Moved from April 3, 2020, to a May 22 debut on Netflix.
Malignant
Moved from Aug. 14, 2020, to a date TBD.
The Many Saints of Newark
Moved from Sept. 25, 2020, to March 12, 2021.
The Matrix 4
Moved from May 21, 2021, to April 1, 2022.
Minions: Rise of Gru
Moved from July 3, 2020, to July 2, 2021.
Mission: Impossible 7
Moved from July 23, 2021, to Nov. 19, 2021
Mission: Impossible 8
Moved from Aug. 5, 2022, to Nov. 4, 2022.
Morbius
Moved from July 31, 2020, to March 19, 2021.
Mulan
Moved from March 27, 2020, to July 24, 2020, to August 21, 2020
My Spy
Moved from April 17, 2020 to June 26, when it will premiere digitally on Amazon.
Quiet Place Part II
Moved from March 8, 2020, to Sept. 4, 2020.
The New Mutants
Moved from April 3, 2020, to Aug. 28, 2020.
The Nightingale
Moved from Dec. 25, 2020, to Dec. 22, 2021.
No Time to Die
Moved from April 10, 2020, to Nov. 20, 2020.
Nobody
Moved from Aug. 14, 2020, to Feb. 26, 2021.
The Personal History of David Copperfield
Moved from May 8, 2020, to Aug.14, 2020.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Moved from Aug. 7, 2020, to Jan. 15, 2021.
Praise This
Moved from Sept. 25, 2020 to TBD.
Raya and the Last Dragon
Moved from Nov.r 25, 2020, to March 12, 2021.
Run
Moved from May 8, 2020, to a release date TBD.
Scoob!
Moved from a theatrical release on May 15, 2020, to digital release on May 15.
The Secret Garden
Moved from April 17, 2020, to Aug. 14, 2020.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Moved from Feb. 21, 2021, to May 7, 2021.
Shazam! 2
Moved from April 1, 2022, to Nov. 4, 2022.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw
Moved from May 15, 2020, to May 21, 2021.
Soul
Moved from June 19, 2020, to Nov. 20, 2020.
Tenet
Delayed indefinitely.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Moved from Nov. 5, 2021, to Feb. 11, 2022.
Tom & Jerry
Moved from Dec. 23, 2020, to March 5, 2021.
The Tomorrow War
Moved from Dec. 25, 2020, to July 23, 2021.
Top Gun: Maverick
Moved from June 24, 2020, to Dec. 23, 2020.
The Truth
Moved from March 20, 2020, to select theaters and VOD July 3.
Uncharted
Moved from March 5, 2021, to Aug. 8, 2021, then to July 16, 2021.
Untitled Elvis Movie
Moved from Oct. 1, 2021, to Nov. 5, 2021.
Untitled Indiana Jones Movie
Moved from July 9, 2021, to July 29, 2022.
Untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home Sequel
Moved from July 16, 2021, to Nov. 5, 2021.
Untitled Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Sequel
Moved from April 8, 2022, to Oct. 7, 2022.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Moved from Oct. 2, 2020, to June 25, 2021.
The Witches
Moved off of the 2021 schedule from Oct. 9.
Without Remorse
Moved from Sept. 18, 2020, to Feb. 26, 2021
The Woman in the Window
Moved from May 15, 2020, to a date TBD.
Wonder Woman 1984
Moved from June 5, 2020, to Aug. 14, 2020, then to Oct. 2, 2020.
