There was a lot of concern before about streaming services replacing movie theaters and basic cable, though most of those fears were extinguished by movies like Avengers: Endgame and TV shows like Game of Thrones or Westworld. However, one of those grim fears could become a reality since COVID-19 has left movie theaters penniless for the past few weeks and it could last for a number of months. Looks like it's not just people the Coronavirus is killing.
John Fithian, president, and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) told Variety that the situation is dire for movie theaters right now and they need the government to pass the Coronavirus Rescue Bill. This means that the government will help ensure that these movie theaters will pay for these loans since a number of banks are unwilling to go easy on the owners since no one knows how long the Coronavirus is going to be around.
In a bit of good news, Fithian said he was confident that the bill is going to get passed since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have been working together on this bill, even though their politics differ from each other.
"I've never seen a process like this. It's unlike the broken government of the last few years and all the partisanship that we've seen happening. It's truly historic. My confidence is growing that they will put together something that will literally save large portions of the American economy. If it does, that will be one of the proudest days we've seen for the American government."
Fithian is hoping that major film studios will be releasing their films later this year, once things have calmed down. Black Widow, Mulan, The New Mutants, and so much more are big films that fans are excited to see and they could help a lot of theaters stay in business. Let's just hope that things get better.
Read: Christopher Nolan Pleads with US Government to Save Movie Theaters After COVID-19
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