TORONTO — If anything is certain about the future of movie theatres in 2021, it’s that nobody can be certain about anything.
After a year that saw Canada’s film exhibition industry roiled by the COVID-19 pandemic, industry observers say the country’s cinemas are sitting at a critical juncture with no clear path forward.
Most theatres across the country were dark over the usually bustling holiday movie season, as they were for the majority of the year in many major markets. The few screens that continued operating did so at a fraction of their usual capacity.
Some say sustained closures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 could spell doom for the movie theatre business, which has been battered in recent years as ticket sales declined and streaming giants like Netflix chased the same audience.
“There were enormous challenges to this industry long before COVID ever forced us into lockdown,” says Jason Gorber, a film critic based in Toronto.
“But it’s really easy to be cynical and think movie theatres are dead. I don’t think that’s the case at all… There’s a real opportunity for change and for theatres to actually come back, bigger and better in some ways.”
However, Gorber and other industry experts recognize a happy ending for Canada’s movie exhibitors is far from certain at this point.
They predict the road ahead for 2021 will be riddled with crucial developments, and potentially setbacks, that could set the trajectory for the future.
Among the most urgent questions is the speed of a nationwide vaccine rollout that could determine how quickly moviegoers return to theatres.
Several anticipated blockbusters are lined up for later this year, including much-delayed James Bond entry “No Time to Die,” in April and “Fast & Furious 9” in May. After a year of schedule reshuffles, none of those release dates seem certain, especially if lockdowns continue or moviegoers lack the confidence to return to theatres en masse.
“People are going to be a little bit skittish about gathering and there’s probably a percentage of the audience that’s gone for good,” predicts Louis-Etienne Dubois, an assistant professor at Ryerson University who serves as director of the school’s Future of Live Entertainment Lab.
“There’s a loss any way we cut it.”
Big changes were already afoot in the movie theatre business at the start of the pandemic as Hollywood studios wrestled with exhibitors over more flexible theatrical windows that would allow movies a faster leap to streaming and rental platforms.
For years, movie theatre owners had been the victors, keeping a 90-day exclusivity window for major releases, but the pandemic forced their hand in making exceptions.
It opened the floodgates for seismic changes, including shorter theatrical runs, and unprecedented studio decisions that saw planned theatrical releases re-routed to home theatres.
The sudden shift has shaken the industry, sometimes leading to dramatic public spats between Hollywood executives and lobbyists for exhibitors.
David Hancock, a London-based senior research manager at Omdia who scrutinizes the global film market, says the suggestion theatres are on death’s door is pure “hyperbole.”
“Everyone’s losing the plot of it,” he says.
“Cinemas are fundamentally an extremely valuable social and economic force. They provide a good place to launch a film, and people to come together, and they’re the only place outside the home you can watch a film properly.”
Hancock says he’s not convinced that streaming platforms will eliminate the movie theatre experience any time soon. People still thirst to watch entertainment on a big screen, he argues, and it’s a multi-billion dollar business that he doesn’t believe can be sustained on low-cost streaming platforms.
“Movies have a value,” he says. “And they need that value to make as much money back as they can, to justify $200 million in production costs and another $200 million in marketing. If you start to mess around with that, the whole thing starts to fall apart.”
However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be widespread consolidation of cinema chains in some countries, or a sharp reduction in the number of movie screens as smaller markets lose their multiplexes.
For Canada’s largest movie chain Cineplex Inc. and second-largest operator Landmark Cinemas, the possibility of a sluggish return to normalcy could be devastating.
During the first three quarters of last year, Cineplex’s revenues plummeted as provincial COVID-19 measures dramatically reduced theatre capacity, and a lacklustre slate of films drew smaller audiences.
Cineplex’s share value has dropped more than 70 per cent since the start of the pandemic, as a $2.8-billion takeover by London-based Cineworld fell apart, and the virus forced the company to lay off staff.
Last month, Cineplex announced plans to shore up $57 million by selling its Toronto headquarters and using that money to repay debt.
The company’s CEO Ellis Jacob is confident cost-cutting efforts will help weather the storm until audiences are back in the seats.
“I feel that we will have a huge pop when things start to get better,” he says.
“We feel 2021 is going to be an awesome year in this business.”
Jacob points to other countries that have seen moviegoers return in record numbers once pandemic measures eased. China saw solid ticket sales for some homegrown films in the months after lockdown, while Japan smashed box-office records with anime hit “Demon Slayer,” which became the country’s top-grossing film of all time in December.
Whether North American audiences can muster up similar enthusiasm for “Black Widow,” the next entry in the Marvel franchise, or a Ghostbusters sequel, remains to be seen.
Cineplex has a few options it could pursue to bring audiences back.
Jacob has expressed interest in testing out “dynamic pricing” for movies, a model similar to airlines and hotels which fluctuates the cost of a ticket based on demand. In theory, it could draw cost-conscious moviegoers outside of peak hours.
The company could also make a belated foray into the all-you-can-watch subscription movie pass, which allows cardholders regular access to theatres. The concept has been a hit with moviegoers at U.S. chains for years, but Jacob has not confirmed this model as part of Cineplex plans.
But before cinemas even think about innovation, they need federal and provincial leaders to acknowledge the damage caused by shutdowns and make good with financial support, says Ken Charko, director of the B.C. division of the Movie Theatre Association of Canada.
Leaders in Quebec have already announced $4.6 million in grants to help the province’s cinemas get through COVID-19 closures. The money will go exclusively to Quebec-owned theatres, rather than national chains like Cineplex. Charko, who runs the independent Dunbar Theatre in Vancouver, wants to see similar gestures from other provinces.
“The government needs to help the industry until we get to the point where we can survive and thrive,” he says.
“Whenever there’s great change, I believe there’s opportunity for growth. The steps that happen going forward will define that.”
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
