As movie theaters shutter nationwide, film fans hope more people start returning to the big screen
NEW YORK -- Regal Cinemas will close dozens of movie theaters across the country, including the Union Square location.
As film fans find new ways to see movies, the movie industry looks for different ways to attract audiences.
Whether it's the big kiss or the big boom, some things are just better on a big screen.
"There's nothing like being in a movie theater where you got the popcorn, the soda," Harlem resident Alexis Crute said.
"The sound, and you can actually feel the vibrations in the theater. It's just amazing," tourist Julie Reese said.
But the number of screens are shrinking.
Earlier this month, Cinepolis in Chelsea closed its doors, and Friday, Regal Cinemas announced its Union Square location will be one of 39 theaters closing across the country in February. Eight of those 39 theaters are in New York and New Jersey.
"It's so sad. This is, I've been bringing my kids here for years," Manhattan resident Jenny White said.
"A lot of the kids come here after school to watch movies," one person said.
"Usually always crowded, so it'll definitely be missed," Crute said.
Regal is the second largest cinema chain in the country with more than 500 theaters, but a few months ago, its parent company, Cineworld, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
"With all these streaming platforms, that's probably what's to be expected," East Harlem resident Minerva Naya said.
Nationwide, there are about 100 fewer movie theaters now than there were before the pandemic with about 1,500 fewer screens.
"Are you a big movie theater guy?" CBS2's Ali Bauman asked one man.
"I was," he said.
"What happened?" Bauman asked.
"COVID," the man said.
"COVID forced people to be at home, and then streaming sort of filled that void of going to a movie theater," Variety Senior Editor Mark Malkin said.
But it wasn't just theaters that shut down during the pandemic -- production did, too.
"The biggest reason we've had difficulty is we haven't had enough movies, and that's primarily because of the pandemic," said Patrick Corcoran, vice president of the National Association of Theater Owners.
But Corcoran is optimistic new movies coming out will soon put more people in the seats.
"The audiences are willing to come out. We have to have the movies for them to come out to see," he said.
"Hopefully we get back to the old times when people used to go out instead of being trapped in the house," Manhattan resident Christian Molta said.
So grab your popcorn and look for the coming attractions before the credits roll on another theater.
