The future of movie theaters is uncertain. Recent acquisitions of Paramount and Warner Bros. by Skydance raise questions about how long movies will stay in theaters. Will most films only play in cinemas for a week or two? However, Universal Pictures plans to keep a longer theatrical window for its releases, guaranteeing they’ll be shown exclusively in theaters for 45 days—about seven weekends. Films released under Universal’s Focus Features banner will have a shorter run, staying in theaters for just 17 days.
Here’s what NBC/Universal chairman Donna Langley said to The New York Times about this decision:
We’ve always adjusted our release plans to fit what the market needs, but we remain committed to releasing movies in theaters first. We believe this is essential for a strong and lasting movie theater experience and we’ll continue to work with theaters to make that happen.
As a movie fan, I noticed something interesting after 2020 when COVID hit. Universal decided movies opening with less than $50 million at the box office would be available to rent at home after just 17 days, and bigger movies – those making over $50 million – would have a 30-day run in theaters before heading to rental services. The thing is, even after things started getting back to normal, they kept this plan in place. Honestly, I think it really hurt theaters because a lot of people just started waiting to watch new releases at home instead of going out to see them.
Hollywood has held onto many COVID-era rules for too long, significantly impacting the shared experience of going to the movies. Pixar’s decision to release films directly to streaming during the pandemic created a perception that their movies were better suited for home viewing, which hurt ticket sales for years. It’s encouraging to see at least one major studio recognize how vital movie theaters are to the entertainment industry, and we hope this approach proves successful in the future.
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2026-03-14 02:32