Lockdown is ending: Here are all the movies returning to theaters now
Lockdown is slowly ending. The first thing on our post-lockdown list? Going to the movies! Yes, this means — the smell of popcorn, the uncomfortable seats, that awkward moment when you have to pick where you want to sit (even though you’ll end up picking the usual spot), the surround sound, all ready for you! Well, if you’re in China.
Got your movie card ready? Because we’re taking a look at the movies in theaters now!
Back in theaters
When it looked like the end for China, as they were documented as the first country to have the coronavirus, they’ve conquered the deadly virus & lockdown, and are currently reopening many parts of their country, specifically their theaters. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, China has been discussing rereleasing many films back in June/July 2020.
Now, CNBC reported that since the start of the new year, China has successfully received “$2.64 billion in ticket sales” with a 75% audience capacity. Their record of ticket sales is most likely due to many countries like the U.S. & Canada having their cinemas only open recently with a much lower audience capacity. Either way, China’s theaters are clearly the place to be!
Since, China has rereleased Avatar, the film’s figures went up by approximately $50 million! – Officially taking back it’s top spot in theaters from Avengers: Endgame (Ouch!). But just like the “blip” from Avengers: Endgame, Chinese theaters have come out of nowhere and recently announced that the first installment of Lord of the Rings would be released on April 4th, 2021.
Lord of the Rings
We know what you’re thinking: “Is there a new Lord of the Rings we didn’t know about?”. Nope. But Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings is coming back to theaters, and why not, right? After all, we’ve probably binge watched everything else.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, China is ready to re-release all the Lord of the Rings films from April 2021. Jackson’s films will follow the rerelease of the infamous sci-fi film Avatar earlier this month.
If you’ve never watched the masterpiece Lord of the Rings – “the future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search for it. But fate has placed it in the hands of a young Hobbit named Frodo Baggins” and so the story unravels full of action, adventure, and magic like no other.
When Lord of the Rings came out in theaters, you were nineteen years younger, and the film was a huge hit! In fact, when the franchise was originally released, the first film The Fellowship of the Ring reportedly received “$6.88 million” vs the second film The Two Towers (2003) with “$3 million” and of course, the third installment The Return of the King earned nearly $10.4 million.
Now in 2021, we can only imagine what the figures will look like. The next set of films like The Two Towers will be released on April 16th, and The Return of the King on April 23rd. But will these films explode in cinemas like Avatar? Our guess – most likely!
Godzilla vs Kong
Don’t worry, you’ll have more options than rereleases like Avatar & Lord of the Rings, as Godzilla vs Kong has officially arrived. The 2021 film debuted a few days ago and has already received approximately $6.8 million thanks to pre-sales. Now the film directed by Adam Wingard is sitting at nearly $9.6 million according to Forbes.
Chief analyst of Boxoffice.com Shawn Robbins stated: “This film’s release is absolutely welcome news to the film industry, even with the streaming element in play domestically . . . Overall, Asian markets have been strong drivers of this franchise’s box office prowess and China alone contributed roughly one-third of worldwide grosses on Kong: Skull Island & Godzilla: King of the Monsters.”
If you’re planning on going to the theaters soon – Godzilla vs Kong is about two monsters that go head-to-head in an epic battle with humanity struggling to find a way out. Not only, are these alphas from their own films (Godzilla: King of the Monsters & Kong: Skull Island), starring great actors like Stranger Things’s Millie Bobby Brown & Alexander Skarsgârd, you’ll want to see what happens next!
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What film are you most excited to see in theaters? Let us know in the comments below.
