It’s become easy to forget that, just five years ago, there was legitimate concern that movie theaters were no longer viable in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Theaters closed for months on end in 2020, and when Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was the first blockbuster released during the era, it was far from a success, even though it faced literally zero competition.
That’s why, when Godzilla vs. Kong hit theaters on March 31, 2021, it was a true test for the future of the cinematic experience. As vaccines made their way into the world and theater chains like AMC and Regal reopened their doors, we wondered if the global levels of communal viewing needed to justify a Hollywood blockbuster’s existence could truly exist again.
