During the shutdown of everything, theaters couldn't open up and let people in. Now movies are so full the theaters seem to be collapsing even more.
Cineworld is declaring bankruptcy, and AMC dropped 40% TheStreet: What Charts Say for AMC Stock After 40% Plunge.
It feels like there is a push to keep people at home, or locked in at their jobs for companies like Google or Apple.
Technology and oversaturation. Movies used to be kind of an event. You saw them when they were at the theatre, and then, maybe never again. It used to be something else to see a movie more than once, because it meant you went out of your way to see it at the theatre that many times.
Hell, even renting a movie was a big deal - when it was a new thing. Then it just became a hassle, and Netflix (in its original form) came along at just the right time, and was able to offer a wider variety of stuff than your local video stores could.
Now there's movies coming out of every pore of everyone's ass, AND its easier to get the foreign films that used to be so hard to find, it's everywhere.
Movie theatres will have to make movie-going an experience again, and I know some places have worked towards that (the one with the dragon in West Edmonton Mall is about the fanciest I've seen), but that started ages ago. That's why they were so hot about the 3-D thing, they figured it'd be something that you'd pay for to go out of your way to experience (even if home 3D TVs flopped.)
I know some theatres actually do involve themselves in E-sports events; and a second-run theatre here has special nights, special shows for parents with babies, etc. and discount midnight showings on holidays, which is kind of fun.
They don't have to die, but they do have to evolve to survive. And I've seen where drive-ins are making small comebacks here and there.
That's a good point. They need to change to the times.
I would love a small time theater that plays an entire season of a show while selling popcorn and stuff on the side.