Who’s going back to the movies? So far, not everyone

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The movies are clawing their way back in theaters, but, so far, not everyone is showing up like they used to. While certain segments of moviegoers are closer to pre-pandemic levels, older moviegoers and family audiences have been slower to return. That’s shrunk already narrow opportunities for non-franchise films to find audiences. Well before the pandemic, superheroes and spectacles were already a bigger and bigger slice of the box-office pie. Now, they’re closer to the whole meal. If the trend continues, it wouldn’t be a surprise to those who have long forecast that the theatrical movie has split into two camps: Blockbuster and boutique.