Multiplexes are closed. Movies are rescheduled for release. The pandemic has bought all the activities to a standstill with the theatre industry being one of them. It has been severely affected by the pandemic and all entertainment activities are put on halt. With the theatres being shut all across the country, the National Association of Theatre Owners has asked the Trump Administration and Congress to decide on relief measures to protect the theatres from getting dissolved till the time business can resume and they can start earning.
In order to stop the spreading of the virus, theatres have been shut. Most of them will be closed leading to 89% screens in the country turning dark. The National Association of Theatre Owners constitutes more than 33,000 screens, They are spread across a total of 50 states. The group has asked for loans and tax benefits from the federal government to make up for their loss and also to pay their employees.
What is the Trump Administration doing?
The Chief Executive mentioned that the Trump Administration has taken the initiative to help airline corporations and salaried workers but the theatre industry also consists of 150,000 employees and the movie theatre industry is an important fragment of the society. They are expecting movie studios to contribute to the funding and will be withdrawing $1 million from the movie theatre employees’ reserves.
The period is difficult for every employee with zero income coming in and their jobs being at stake. They expect Congress to help them by providing the lenders with loan guarantee as they will continue to provide mortgage and rent payment assistance.
Firstly, no strategies have been made by the democrats or the US Senate to come up with relief packages. Secondly, they are doing nothing to help the businesses that are currently in distress. Allowing major corporations loan benefits, politicians and the rich are taking advantage leaving the small ones out to dry. The authorities have shown favor towards the wealthy.
Theatre companies believe that watching movies in the theatres will take time. The major cause is that many have shifted to the OTT platforms. This will force them into bankruptcy and will lead to permanent closing. Let us hope that soon there will be a vaccine for the pandemic and things will get back to normal, helping everyone earn a living. We will keep you updated with various such information. Hence, stay tuned for more updates.
