Theatrical rereleases
Looking at the reasons behind theatres rereleasing classic movies.
In a world where Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming platforms are easily accessible, it’s hard to think of reasons why anybody would want to leave their couch to watch an old movie. That said, we are seeing a recent trend of classics returning to the big screen.
One of the reasons for the resurgence of classic movies in theatres is the lack of new ideas and the unwillingness to take risks. A lot of old classics are being re-upped for sequels. The likes of Toy Story 5, Shrek 5, and Jumanji 3 will all be in theatres in 2026. Although these are not rereleases, they are sequels of movies that have been extremely successful at the box office in the past. Movie studios have decided to create and produce an excessive number of movies of the same franchise because they believe that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Movie theatres and studios are operating under this same principle when it comes to rereleases. They would rather rerelease an old movie that they feel will be a guaranteed success than risk spending valuable resources on a movie that viewers may not enjoy.
Another reason behind the rerelease of movies in theatres is holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas. Christmas is a joyful time of year for people all over the world, especially movie lovers. Some of the most beloved movies are Christmas-themed, such as Elf, The Grinch, Home Alone, and yeah, I guess we can put Die Hard in there, too. One of the important aspects of a Christmas movie is the way it makes you feel. There is an element of nostalgia at play with Christmas movies, which is why many people rewatch the same Christmas movies over and over again. Knowing this, theatres rerelease some of these Christmas classics to give people an alternative to watching the movies at home.
Although watching a movie in the theatre may not be as intimate of a setting, there are still many appealing reasons to watch movies in theatres. Whether it be the gigantic screens, the loud, enthralling music, or the comfortable reclining chairs, theatres create an atmosphere where you become one with the movie. This is why there is still a large demand for movies to be released in theatres. People want to experience films that they never got to watch in theatres because they were either too young or not born yet. Personally, I am super excited to see one of my favourite movies of all time, Interstellar, when it returns to theatres on December 6. I have watched Interstellar at least ten times but never in theatres. I expect my eleventh watch to be the best yet as I will feel completely immersed in space.
If you, too, can’t wait to see an old movie on the big screen, here is a list of upcoming movies being rereleased in theatres for you to keep your eyes on.
