The National Federation of Cinemas, which brings together the 6,000 French screens plagued by a drop in attendance since their reopening, “ deeply regrets ” the fact that certain films do not come out in theaters and are directly broadcast on streaming platforms.
One month after their reopening as part of the progressive deconfinement, cinemas are facing a general drop in attendance, sometimes with theaters two-thirds empty. " The daily attendance figures show that the films, even if they are not numerous enough, find their audience individually in theaters ", however underlines the FNCF in a press release, thanking the distributors of works who continue to prefer them. dark rooms.
Read also: Mulan gives in to the coronavirus and comes out directly on the small screen
In recent weeks, several films have been sold directly to streaming platforms such as Netflix or Amazon, without being released in theaters. Latest disappointment for cinemas: Disney has announced that Mulan , its highly anticipated blockbuster (this is the live-action adaptation of the famous cartoon), will automatically be offered on its Disney + platform for paid rental up to $ 29.90.
" This can only accentuate the crisis facing cinemas by opting for distribution methods that create much less value than theatrical release and far removed from the principle at the heart of the cinematographic show: bringing together an audience, sharing emotions and bring culture to life at the heart of the city and the regions , ”add the cinema operators.
Read also: For lack of audiences and films, the Grand Rex temporarily closes its doors
Consequently, the National Federation of French Cinemas asks the public authorities "to put in place as a matter of urgency protective measures for cinemas ". Like other establishments, the Grand Rex, a 7-screen Parisian complex, which is one of the largest cinemas in Europe, decided to close its doors in August for the first time since its inauguration in 1932, due to the drop in attendance and in the absence of the usual summer blockbusters.