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Cinemas: Have you been going back?

hand-grabs-popcorn-from-bucketImage source, Getty Images

While cinemas were closed, many of us would watch brand new film releases on streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix.

But now that your local cinema is open again, have you been back?

Summer holidays are the time when some of the year's biggest blockbusters are released - and this year was no exception, despite the pandemic.

Peter Rabbit 2, Black Widow and Space Jam: A New Legacy have been some of the most popular films of the summer.

However, last week it was revealed that UK box office earnings in the past month were only half of what they had been compared to the same period before the pandemic.

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Despite this, UK cinemas say that they are pleased with the public's return so far and expect more people to come back soon.

We wanted to know your thoughts.

A trip to the cinema - a lot of fun or a lot of effort?

Going to the cinema can be a fun day out with friends and family.

Some people love the experience of watching a large screen, with huge speakers, a bucket of popcorn and an audience laughing along.

However, you may prefer watching a new movie from the comfort of your home with plenty of free snacks in the kitchen next door!

Vote in our poll and tell us in the comments your favourite way to watch a brand new film release.

Image source, Disney
Image caption,

The release of Mulan was delayed from March 2020 because of the pandemic

How did movie releases change in the pandemic?

While cinemas were closed, movie production companies turned to streaming services to release their films instead.

In November last year, in countries where cinemas were closed due to the pandemic, Disney decided to release the long-waited for live-action version of Mulan on Disney+.

Before the pandemic, it would usually take around four months from the release of a brand new film in theatres to it then being available to watch at the comfort of your home.

So to release a movie as big as Mulan straight to a streaming platform was seen as a big deal.

Image source, Dreamworks Animation
Image caption,

Like Mulan, Trolls World Tour premiered on digital services in many countries during the coronavirus pandemic

Since restrictions eased - films are now often ereleased in cinemas and on streaming platforms at similar times.

The Boss Baby: Family Business, Spirit Untamed, Cruella and Black Widow all had their theatrical and digital release dates really close together.

Some people like this as they say it makes films more accessible.

But others say it's bad for the movies and cinemas, as it can lead to people stealing films and sharing them without permission with other people. This is called piracy.

As the world opens up, we will need to wait and see if these speedy digital movie release times are here to stay.