A top film executive addresses the decline of movie theater etiquette and blamesDeadpool & Wolverine. Discussion ofpoor movie theater etiquette has recently become amplified again with the high-profile releases ofWickedandGladiator II. Countless videos of thedramaticWickedending, featuring the song “Defying Gravity,” have been posted to social media, many of which feature theatergoers singing along to the lyrics. Entire scenes can be viewed on various social media platforms via illegally filmed videos less than a week afterWickedandGladiator IIdebuted in theaters, along with photos taken during theatrical viewings.
While speaking withVariety, a top film executive, who has chosen to remain anonymous, asserted that"Something has happened post-pandemic where movie theater behavior has really changed" and that younger audiences"have a different relationship with the material, it’s all just content to them.“Heargued that this behavior became far worse withDeadpool & Wolverineand mentionedhow star Ryan Reynolds and director Shawn Levy directly interacted with social media posts taken during theatrical viewings, many of which documented the crowd reactions to the movie’s various cameos.
What This Means For Movies
Social Media’s Importance Does Not Justify Ruining The Theatrical Experience
Social media has become undeniably invaluable in helping many movies become box-office hits. A TikTok trend in 2022 saw theatergoers wearing suits to seeMinions: The Rise of Gru, a phenomenon that helped the animated prequel surpass box office expectations and gross $940 million worldwide. In 2023,the Barbenheimer memes led to the double-feature viewings ofBarbieandOppenheimer, resulting inBarbie’s $1.4 billionandOppenheimer’s $975.5 million global earnings. Studios want to see these kinds of trends happening with other movies in the hopes of similar financial success.
Wicked Box Office Numbers: Total, Worldwide, Domestic, Opening & Records
Wicked has been an overwhelming success at the worldwide box office, proving that The Wizard of Oz is an undeniably profitable franchise.
Memes and videos of viewers dressed in suits before seeing a movie is one thing, but openly pirating the movies and ruining the experience for other theatergoers is another matter entirely. Those who use their phones in movie theaters, in addition to loudly talking and singing, areruining the theatrical experience for others. Given the massivebox office ofDeadpool & Wolverineand other movies where this is happening, studios are reluctant to take action against it, and are realistically unable to police all the pirated content posted on various social media platforms, but this does negate the larger issues happening.
Our Take On The Executive’s Comments
Poor Theater Etiquette Should Never Be Normalized
Treating phone usage and poor movie theater etiquette as acceptable is not a wise decision in the long run. If the theatrical experience continues to worsen, movie theater attendance will dwindle more than it already has since the Covid-19 pandemic. While inappropriate behavior and phone usage cannot be completely controlled, itcan be made better by individuals likeDeadpool & Wolverine’s Reynolds and Levy choosing not to interact with pirated content. Such interactions normalize and even celebrate using phones to film a movie in theaters, even though this behavior is never acceptable.
Deadpool & Wolverine
Cast
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
