Except for the OTT platforms, the entertainment industry is badly hit due to the coronavirus outbreak. Movie theatres have been closed even before the announcement of lockdown and it is already a month movie exhibition that has come to a grinding halt. Lockdown will continue till May 3 and there are speculations that the lockdown may be extended till the end of June. If that really happens, theatres will not be allowed to screen movies for two more months by the government because following social distancing measures in a crowded place like theaters is a tedious task.
The people will not be in a mood to visit theatres because of the fear factor. It takes some time for them to get habituated to the theatres. On the other hand, the OTT platforms are wooing the small filmmakers with crazy offers already. If they get ready to sell their films to OTTs, then the theatres will not have movies to exhibit. On the other hand, some film was in the final stages of the shoot when lockdown announced. They need some time to finish those films.
Considering all these things, experts in the trade are saying that theatres will not be re-opened till September. Entertainment will not be on people's priority list so the audience takes some time to get adjusted to the changes in the environment. It is a really tough time ahead for the movie exhibition industry. Let us see what happens.