Has the pandemic dimmed the houselights for good at American movie theaters? Stay-at-home orders, capacity limits and simple fear of the virus have kept cinema crowds away for nearly a year. So, too, have studio decisions to delay the release of anticipated blockbusters.
Last year, the North American box office declined to its lowest total since 1981 (when ¡°Raiders of the Lost Ark¡± was the top draw). Now theaters are flirting with bankruptcy while hoping that they haven¡¯t lost their fans forever.
The good news? The picture could hardly look more different in Asia. Although similar worries had plagued the region¡¯s movie business at the start of the pandemic, audiences are now piling back into theaters and spurring record box-office hauls.
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