Re-Porter Blog Special Post

A Retrospective By Brandon Porter

    Long time no see followers. Hope everyone is doing well during these crazy times we are living in right now. As you might have noticed, the 2020 summer movie season didn't quite go as planned. In fact, we didn't have one at all. The majority of the big-time releases that were supposed to debut this summer or in the coming months have either been pushed back or forgone a theatrical release altogether and debuted on direct-to-consumer platforms. It's been a real bummer not being in a movie theater for the majority of the year and there is still a lot of uncertainty in the air moving forward. However, the past few weeks saw several theaters start to open back up with updated safety protocols in place to keep moviegoers safe from COVID-19. This is great news for me and others starving for that theatrical experience again but it also makes me nervous about the slippery slope theater chains are walking on to maintain the survivability of their industry.

Once looked at as the year's most anticipated cinematic event,
Niki Caro's live-action Mulan now faces a new set challenges
as it prepares to forgo theaters and premiere on
Disney's much-acclaimed streaming service  

I'll be honest with you guys. As much as I am happy to see movie theaters reopen for business, the road to get here has been rocky, to say the least. The tug of war between studios and the chains that showcase their products, the constant delays that are now starting to affect the next ten years of filmmaking, and we can't forget about all the civil unrest in various parts of the world. This is truly an unprecedented time that no one saw coming and nobody was truly prepared for. It has been especially hard for people who rely on the moviegoing experience as a source for escapism as I do. Not being able to sit down in a large auditorium and get lost in epic stories and characters has been pretty rough on my mental health especially in an age where the internet and social media have become this entity of bitterness, vitriol, and just straight-up bogus nonsense.

Christopher Nolan's ambitious sci-fi thriller now is
looked at by many as the jumping-off point
for restarting the cinematic box office.

All that aside, the fact that the blockbuster films will start returning to cinemas as early as today with the release of Christopher Nolan's Tenet has me excited that I'll be able to get that immersive movie theater experience again. Unfortunately, some considerable damage has been done to the 2020 box office and its film lineup as well. For instance, today also marks the long-awaited release of Disney's live-action adaptation of Mulan. What was once looked at as one of the must-see films of the year will now reach audiences not from an auditorium with booming surround sound and reclining seats, but from the comfort of people's own homes. Prior to now, both Tenet and Mulan were seen as the supposed saviors of a summer movie season that was pretty much DOA. However, Disney made the decision to release one of it's most ambitious (and expensive) films to its popular streaming service Disney +. The move sent shockwaves through the industry as many saw this as not just bold but potentially telling about how things might go moving forward.

After a plethora of delays, DC and Warner Bros are finally looking
to release their anticipated sequel Wonder Woman 1984 this October.

Let's not beat around the bush, going to the movies, especially with a large group of friends or family, can be an incredibly stressful time on the wallet. Theater chains haven't made it that much easier with increasing prices year by year. Streaming services delivering quality content for fractions of the price make staying at home a much more affordable, convenient, and in this case safer option. Mulan moving to Disney + might actually be just a one-off move but it's something to pay attention to now that the possibility of big-budget, large scale blockbuster films coming directly to the consumer is being tested. That said, studios like Disney, Warner Bros, Universal, and Paramount have not given up on the movie-going experience. Despite the beating, the 2020 spring and summer box office took, fall and winter may point to maybe not a complete resurgence but a jumping-off point in starting up a car that has been collecting dust for the majority of the calendar year.

In a scenario almost unheard of since 2010 to 2012, Marvel Studios'
Black Widow film will be the sole theatrical release for the
Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2020.

Tenet finally arriving in theaters is just the beginning. Over the next few months, big-time movies will start arriving in cineplexes across the country allowing a chance for more people to get that theatrical experience they have longed for since before the pandemic. October sees the release of DC's Wonder Woman 1984, Universal's remake of Candyman, and Kenneth Branagh's Death on the Nile, the sequel to 2017s Murder on the Orient Express. November starts the holiday movie season and for the most part, it remains relatively intact. Things start off on November 6th with the release of Marvel's only movie this year Black Widow. Yes, you read that right. After years of 2 to 3 movies from the shared heroverse, circumstances have the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the only film releasing this year from the studio. A scenario not seen since the release of 2010's Iron Man 2 and 2012's The Avengers. November also sees the release of the latest installment of the 007 series No Time to Die and Pixar's latest potential masterpiece Soul starring Jamie Foxx. Rounding out the year for December will be 20th Century Studios' Free Guy starring Ryan Reynolds. The week prior to Christmas has heavy hitters all around. The much-anticipated sequel to Eddie Murphy's beloved 1980s classic Coming 2 America, Steven Spielberg's adaptation of West Side Story, and Denis Villeneuve's ambitiously large scale adaptation of Dune, based on the novel by Frank Hubert.

Denis Villeneuve's ambition adaptation of Frank Hubert's 
acclaimed novel will serve as one of the
year's tentpole holiday year-end epics.

Despite all that I just mentioned, every single theatrical movie release after labor day is going to have to have a giant asterisk on it. There is still so much uncertainty in the air and everything could go sideways in a matter of days or even after this post is published. I'm hoping that won't be the case. I pray we will be able to see all of these films and the ones next year and the year after without fear of contracting a dangerous disease. I truly missed not writing reviews for you all and sharing all that the summer movie season has to offer. In an alternate timeline, I would have been preparing my summer movie awards and wrapping up the season until next year. But that isn't the case right now. I look forward to seeing things get back to normal in more ways than one. Who knows. It may start tonight. Thanks for sticking with me as I shake the cobwebs off and get back to writing. Look forward to being in the cinemas with you all again soon. Stay safe, stay healthy, and have a wonderful holiday weekend.