We’re about seven months into a society- and economy-changing pandemic right now with no real light at the end of the tunnel, but the trickle-down effect into the entertainment industry is increasingly messing with our favorite genre of movies and TV shows. Now this is serious.
One such movie is Greenland, an apocalyptic film starring Gerard Butler that is not postponed due to on-location filming restrictions, as others are, but is just awaiting the right time to hit American theaters. Greenland was originally slotted for release in June, then July, and finally September 25th, 2020, but the closure of movie theaters and the questionability of straight-to-stream options led the movie’s decision makers to “indefinitely postpone” the film.
Greenland is the story of a man struggling to save his family from the destruction that an impending comet will have on the Earth. Butler’s character leads his son and estranged wife from Atlanta, Georgia to a bunker in Greenland for safety.
While the American release is up in the air, the movie has actually done fairly well in Europe, earning $10.2 million in August alone — even with the strict COVID-19 restrictions in place. But $10.2 million is still a drop in the bucket when you consider that the movie’s relatively low budget of $34 million is still far off.
The recent release of Tenet in theaters has been a bit of a litmus test for how well new movies could potentially be received in this current pandemic climate. The Chris Nolan film (that is not post-apocalyptic, if you’re wondering) has earned around $208 million so far since its release on August 26th. That’s certainly not bad considering the fact that the budget was $200 million and critical reception is luke-warm. But I imagine that Tenet’s success in theaters will be watched more closely than most. Are people not willing to risk COVID-19 just to see a movie in a theater, or are they tired of sitting around in their PJs debating whether or not $25 is too much to pay for a new release rental at home?
Either way, it will be interesting to see how 2020’s and 2021’s new movies play out. You can bet that people will still be making quality movies, but will fans be willing to go out into public to see them?
Want to stay updated on all things post-apocalyptic? Join our email list here.
