Tom Hanks: Theatres will survive Covid-19

MUMBAI: Hollywood star Tom Hanks feels the shift to streaming world is a due change, and says that movie theatres will survive the Covid-19 pandemic.

In an interview with Collider, Hanks opened up about the impact of the pandemic on the business, and the shift of many films to release on streaming services, reports variety.com.

“A sea change was due, anyway. It was coming, “Hanks said, sharing that the streaming platforms have allowed viewers to watch movies from their homes.

“Will movie theatres still exist? Absolutely, they will. In some ways, I think the exhibitors — once they’re up and open — are going to have the freedom of choice of what movies they’re going to play,” Hanks shared.

Hanks believes theatres will remain to be the go-to release option for big budget franchises.

He said: “Big event motion pictures are going to rule the day at the cinemas. ‘News of the World’ might be the last adult movie about people saying interesting things that’s going to play on a big screen somewhere, because after this, in order to guarantee that people show up again, we’re going to have the Marvel Universe and all sorts of franchises.”

Hanks continued: “You want to see them (franchise films) writ large, because watching them at home on your couch actually might diminish them somehow in their visual punch. But the sea change that has been brought by Covid-19 has been a slow train coming. I think there will be an awful lot of movies that will only be streamed, and I think it will be fine to see them that way because they will actually be built and made and constructed for somebody’s pretty good widescreen TV at their home.”