US entertainment industry reels from industry-wide impact of COVID-19

Distributors

Some Hollywood studios are postponing the theatrical releases of their larger, tentpoles until later this year or early next year, like Disney's "Mulan," Paramount's "A Quiet Place Part II," MGM's "No Time to Die" and so on.

Arthur Sarkissian, who is no stranger to how much the release date of a film can make or break a successful distribution plan, told Xinhua that postponing releases can cause other big problems at a later date.

"Let's say a studio had four movies coming out in April, May, and June - suddenly all of those dates are completely screwed up. They are going to be looking at dates further down the line that could be competing with a much bigger movie they don't want to go up against," he explained.

"Everyone will be scrambling," he warned.

To keep the public happy and avoid a complete loss of distribution revenue, some studios and smaller distributors are releasing their films directly to video-on-demand channels on the same day they screen in the few theaters still open to the public, such as NBCUniversal's "Trolls World Tour."

"Emma," "The Hunt," and "The Invisible Man," though still in theaters, are also offering them simultaneously via VOD services, a move that theater owners decry as cutting into their traditional distribution window.

While the near-term industry outlook seems bleak, Most has poignant hopes for what he and others in the industry can contribute during these tumultuous times.

"Hopefully, the entertainment industry and the contributions that the artisans in front of and behind the camera are working so hard to make can take the edge off, lighten the burden, and fill a void by bringing a little bit of light into people's lives in these troubled times," he told Xinhua.

"I believe in the greatness of the human spirit and I think this tragic event will bring people closer together and bring out the best in people," he added.