The press release, from Warner studios in the United States, fell this Thursday afternoon: “
Wonder Woman 1984
will be released in theaters on December 16 in France.
”An astonishing announcement whereas, for the moment, no date is official for the reopening of the dark rooms.
But since Wednesday, the rumor of an imminent reopening has been roaring in the cinema world.
This is a sentence released on November 18 by the General Delegate of the National Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF), which started everything: "We are talking about a reopening in December," said Marc-Olivier Sebbag on the occasion. of a round table of the Franco-German Cinema Meetings.
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The profession, however, awaits the announcements of Emmanuel Macron, scheduled for next week, to see more clearly.
"All the scenarios are on the table," says Richard Patry, president of the FNCF.
In other words: a reopening of cinemas in early December, mid-December… or even later.
Proof of this extreme uncertainty: this Thursday, while Warner was positioning “Wonder Woman 1984” for December 16, Pathé was thinking on the contrary about the advisability of shifting “the Tuche 4” to 2021, currently set… for December 16.
And on the side of Warner, we added that the release of "Wonder Woman 1984", "subject, of course, that it is confirmed that the cinemas are open on this date", telling us that a possible curfew could change the situation… Because one thing is certain, according to Richard Patry: “The rooms will not restart if a curfew obliges them to schedule their last session at 5 pm or 6 pm.
"
"But not under any conditions"
"There is a common will of the government and the operators to reopen, but not under any conditions", specifies the owner of the French cinemas.
Another certainty: when the dark rooms reopen, the films released just before the reconfinement will be the first to appear.
Among them, “Adieu les cons” by Albert Dupontel, “ADN” by Maïwenn or “Poly” by Nicolas Vanier.
Among the feature films which should be released soon after the reopening, there are “Mandibles” by Quentin Dupieux, currently scheduled for December 16, but also “le Discours” by Laurent Tirard, “Bac Nord” by Cédric Jimenez, “Un Triomphe ”by Emmanuel Courcol and“ the Croods 2 ”set for December 23.
While exhibitors are impatiently awaiting announcements from the President of the Republic, this is also the case for producers and distributors: as soon as the date for the reopening of theaters is known, they will then have to launch or relaunch poster campaigns and of promotion of their films… In all haste.