Metro Detroit Movie Theaters Bank on 'Avatar 2' for Big-Screen Comeback

Metro Detroit Theaters Hit Hard by Pandemic and Streaming Wars

If you walk down the street in Metro Detroit, it’s hard to miss the emptiness hitting some old theaters. The COVID-19 pandemic left deep scars, and even now, the buzz inside theaters just isn’t what it used to be. Independent cinemas in the area are still lagging behind 2019’s golden days—attendance is about 25% lower, even though numbers did climb up 50% from the bleakest year, 2021.

No one feels the pressure quite like Jacobson, a veteran theater owner with screens dotted across Michigan, Iowa, and Massachusetts. He admits that Michigan’s cinemas stumbled the hardest. The pandemic didn’t just shut doors; it broke a tradition where local families and neighbors passed jobs and memories down to new generations inside the lobby. As Jacobson puts it, that rhythm—where you might see your friend manning the popcorn machine or your cousin ushering—just stopped.

Getting by required a mash-up of creativity and help. Federal emergency funds and lifelines from the National Association of Theater Owners kept many places from folding completely. But money wasn’t the only challenge—winning people back, getting them to leave their sofas, became the new game.

Creative Comebacks and the Hope for Blockbuster Crowds

Some theaters cooked up new ideas to pull folks in. Take The Phoenix State Wayne, for example—staff handed out 500 free tickets to anyone getting vaccinated against COVID-19, hoping to give both public health and popcorn sales a boost. The Redford Theater, with its vintage charm, found its way by rolling out special events. Fans got to meet actors from classics like 'West Side Story,' 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' or laugh with the cast of 'Napoleon Dynamite.' Regular Turner Classic movie screenings and cult favorites—think 'Poltergeist' or 'Smokey and The Bandit'—kept the spirit alive for die-hard film fans.

Still, even these efforts couldn’t keep every historic venue standing. The United Artists Theatre, a piece of Detroit’s movie history, saw its final act in late 2022. Preservation groups tried to save it, but the bulldozers won, making space for a new condo development.

Now, with streaming giants locking eyes on home viewers, Metro Detroit’s independent theaters are hustling for survival. Places like The Alger, Redford, and Historic Howell Theater are branching out—some host birthday parties, others open their auditoriums to esports competitions, and a few keep classic film marathons rolling.

As a bit of movie wisdom goes, depending on 'the kindness of strangers' might sound risky, but community backing has been the difference between dark screens and shining marquees. And as “Avatar: The Way of Water” hits the big screen, theater owners hope it draws those missing crowds back, reminding everyone of the thrill only a real theater—and not just a living room TV—can give. If Metro Detroit theaters can pack the house for this blockbuster, some of that lost magic might just come rushing back.