Films, movie theaters face challenges
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- This past summer, movie theaters around the world featured big films such as 'Superman' and 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' but struggled to bring in crowds.
Both films had massive expectations to do well at the box office, but faced their own struggles. In the box office, 'Superman' struggled internationally, and 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' had a massive dip in its second weekend.
North American movie theaters grossed $3.67 billion from the beginning of May through Labor Day, slightly below last summer's $3.68 billion, according to Comdata, via Forbes.
News-Press NOW spoke to St. Joseph locals to see what they thought.
Local Nia Zugelder prefers going to movies, but believes the accessibility of movies at home is hurting box office numbers.
"It's just so much more accessible now. You used to go into the movie theater to see a movie, and it was kind of something you could only see in theaters. But now, everything's so on demand that people would prefer to just stay home," said Zugelder.
The hype of going to a movie on opening weekend still thrives, according to Benito Longoria.
"I like the thrill or the energy of the opening weekend. I'd say that's probably my favorite way to go out." said Longoria.
Movie theaters are still popular among many, but streaming continues to take a serious hit on the once classic option. A 2024 poll by HarrisX found that two-thirds of adults prefer to wait and stream movies at home.
