The film industry is currently struggling, with decreasing audience numbers and disappointing summer blockbusters. Despite desperate attempts by struggling theaters, including gimmicks, it appears that the solution to reviving the industry may have been overlooked: dogs.
This past Sunday, the Autry Museum in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, made history by breaking a Guinness world record. The new record was for “most dogs attending a film screening”. A total of 219 dogs of different breeds gathered together to watch an outdoor showing of Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Some sat on picnic blankets while others snuggled up to their owners. This surpassed the previous record of 199 dogs, which was achieved in October of last year.
The event was supposedly aimed at promoting animal adoption, but it’s clear that Hollywood will also benefit greatly from this. In the past year alone, there has been a significant 10% rise in the number of dogs attending movie screenings. This makes dogs the fastest-growing demographic in the film industry, surpassing even the market in China. If this trend continues, we could see 240 dogs at movie theaters next year, followed by 265 and eventually close to 300. If this growth continues, it’s estimated that in 25 years there could be up to 3,000 dogs watching movies. At this pace, dogs may even outnumber human audiences by then.
The film industry will need to completely reevaluate their approach if they want to cater to a primarily canine audience. Dogs are not likely to have the same viewing preferences as humans. For instance, it is unlikely that a dog would sit through the movie Oppenheimer, and even if they did, it is unlikely that they would maintain interest throughout. It may be necessary for director Christopher Nolan to adjust his perspective and create content that resonates with dogs, such as a biographical drama about a squeaky plastic toy.
Perhaps movie theaters should reconsider their current method of showing films. It is worth noting that this record was not set in a typical movie theater with comfortable seats, advanced projection technology, and state-of-the-art Dolby sound. Instead, it occurred outdoors, in a field, during daylight hours. To a human viewer, this may seem unappealing. The image quality would likely suffer, and the barking of hundreds of dogs would likely drown out any dialogue. However, progress cannot be stopped. If audiences desire films that are difficult to follow, Hollywood will have no choice but to cater to their preferences.
It is possible that a skeptic may doubt whether the dogs were able to understand the storyline of the film or if they were even aware that a movie was being shown. In reality, none of the dogs in the photos taken at the event appear particularly interested. However, until more movies specifically geared towards dogs are created, this may be a positive outcome. The world does not need a group of dogs who can absorb and apply the teachings of Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie.
This movie focuses on dogs who were taken from their families as puppies by a wealthy child, equipped with robotic exosuits, and forced to serve as the town’s entire emergency services, most likely as a cost-saving measure. Based on my knowledge from watching Paw Patrol, these dogs are not fairly compensated for their work. They may receive an occasional treat as a form of appeasement, but that is the extent of their reward. Furthermore, it appears that The Mighty Movie revolves around the Paw Patrol members gaining new abilities after being exposed to a radioactive substance. Essentially, they are being genetically altered to serve their human masters. This serves as a damning condemnation of humanity.
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Hopefully, the dogs were unaware of what they were witnessing, as we could potentially be met with an uncontainable rebellion from them. It would essentially be a canine version of “Planet of the Apes.” While it may seem that dogs could be the saviors of cinema, the consequences must be considered.
Source: theguardian.com
