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2 cgw o c t o b e r • n o v e m b e r • d e c e m b e r 2 0 2 1 2021: A YEAR (NOT) AT THE BOX OFFICE e all remember the scenario in 2020 when the world was in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Theaters closed their doors, and studios had to make a decision on what to do with their finished films. Do they wait out the pandemic, which could last who-knows how long, to get more audience? Do they team up with a streaming service or, in the case of some, utilize their own ser- vice? And if so, do they charge a premium price? Or, do they bank on audience hunger for the theatrical experience? We entered 2021 with high hopes. Hopes that the vaccines would put an end to this virus. Hopes that the public once again would feel safe enough to patronize theaters and other businesses. The year started out slowly, but soon audience comfort levels grew. And, there was some positive progress at the box office, but it wasn't nearly as much as we had predicted one year ago. Domestically, some films have not shown big box-office numbers due to a simultane- ous release on a streaming platform. Also, especially in the first half of the year, the pub- lic's reluctance to return to the theater no doubt impacted certain titles. However, even now, with COVID variants threatening, some films are making an impact in theaters. As of this writing, Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings — which had an initial theatrical-only release — remains at the top of the domestic box office (see story on pg. 8). At number 3 is Black Widow, which was first released both in theaters and at a premium streaming price. The long-awaited Bond film No Time to Die finally rolled out in theaters, followed by Eternals, another theater-only film, at least for a short time. Also, the long-anticipated Dune, which currently is in the top 15 at the domestic box office, had a theatrical debut along with a very short streaming option on HBO Max, although it is expected to be avail- able on the platform once again in the near future. While many of those films experienced delayed releases, others are looking at 2022 instead. For those dinosaur lovers, the long, long-awaited Jurassic World: Dominion is now planned for June 2022. Also, Top Gun Maverick is expected to take off in May 2022 aer cooling its jets due to COVID delays, as will Mission: Impossible 7, with a planned theater release followed a very short time later with a streaming release. Meanwhile, we wait pa- tiently for The Matrix Resurrections, which made the 2021 cut-off and will hit theaters and HBO Max at the end of this year. Of course, plans change, and sometimes rather quickly. So, obviously, these future plans are subject to change once again. Without question, it has been another unusual year at the theater; and surely there are some newly converted home-theatergoers, who like the convenience of watching from their home. So, what will all this mean during awards season, especially the Oscars? Will the decision of when and how to release titles have an effect on voters? That is some- thing we will just have to wait to discover, as well. W R E C E N T A W A R D S E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Karen Moltenbrey e: karen@cgw.com t: 603.432.7568 DIRECTOR OF WEB CONTENT Marc Loftus e: mloftus@postmagazine.com t: 516.376.1087 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kathleen Maher, Jon Peddie, George Maestri, Barbara Robertson PUBLISHER / PRESIDENT / CEO William R. 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