The State of Theatrical Releasing in 2026: Dead Man Walking or Phoenix Rising?

With the rapid growth of streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime in the early 2000s, movie theater attendance began to decline, and the number of movie theaters began to shrink. Then, in 2020, Covid-19 shuttered theaters completely, accelerating the public’s shift to streaming as the new normal for motion picture viewing. Since then, many theaters have reopened, but they are struggling to attract and grow their audiences. The motion picture industry breathed a collective sigh of relief with the successful releases of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in the summer of 2023. But was “Barbenheimer” a sign of things to come, or just a pause in the continuing decline of theatrical viewing? The challenges are even greater for independent, non-blockbuster films that lack the huge marketing budgets of studio releases.

The Motion Pictures Committee of the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Section (EASL) of the NYS Bar Association is hosting a panel discussion with industry leaders to provide EASL members with insights into the current state of theatrical releasing, and its prospects for the future. Entertainment attorneys in all areas of the business will want to attend this program to get a better understanding of the rapidly changing theatrical distribution landscape.

Speakers:

Ira Deutchman, Deutchman Company Inc.

Wendy Lidell, Film Distribution Executive

Carylanna Taylor, The Film Sales Company

Moderator:

Lawrence Sapadin, Business Affairs Attorney