Script to Screen: How original ideas could save cinemas

As streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime have gained significant popularity over the past few years, cinemas have begun to suffer a decline in attendance.

Big chain cinemas such as Cineworld have started shutting their doors due to drops in profit, with Glasgow’s Parkhead Cineworld shutting down earlier this year. Independent venues, however, have seen their shares in the box office almost double.

With the rise of platforms such as Letterboxd, there has been an increased interest in seeing a wider variety of films, and more people are looking for an original experience when they go to the cinema.

So far in 2025, the highest grossing films have been The Minecraft Movie, an adaptation of a videogame which has famously been panned by the critics; the fourth Bridget Jones film; Mufasa, a remake of The Lion King; and Captain America: A Brave New World, yet another addition to the MCU franchise.

The highest-grossing year for the box office of all time is 2009, which saw the release of Avatar, 2012, Up, The Hangover, and the penultimate Harry Potter film - The Half Blood Prince. While there were still plenty of franchise releases that year, the difference in the number of original films being released then compared to now is staggering.

The cast of Avatar at the London premiere in 2009. Credit: GettyImages/Mike Marsland

A 2024 poll found that 84% of people go to independent cinemas for options outside of the mainstream. Streaming platforms, as well as chain cinemas, go for the options that are guaranteed to generate revenue, hence the monopoly that sequels and franchises have over the box office.

Between 2023 and 2024, independent cinemas’ share in box office revenue doubled; however, they still only take up a 6.9% share of profits. Most cinemas in the UK, especially the independent ones, are facing crippling losses in the face of streaming platforms.

Audiences can now gain practically unlimited monthly access to entertainment for less than the price of a cinema ticket with streaming services such as Netflix. When the films on offer are constantly continuing and reviving the same stories, people are less willing to give up the extra money for a cinema ticket when they can get a similar experience at home.

However, in protecting their belief that people should have easy access to independent cinema, smaller cinemas are still suffering. There is an appetite out there to see what else is on offer, but the price of cinema tickets is one of the major barriers deterring people from regular attendance.

In a cost-of-living crisis, everyone is affected, and without large investors, independent businesses must increase prices to survive. However, higher prices can carry the risk of further pushing customers away.

The question stands: will we look back in ten years and think of cinemas as a thing of the past? There are grants dedicated to keeping independent venues afloat, and with the government’s new programme to support access to the arts, there is hope that cinemas may be able to hold on a while longer.

A guarantee of cinemas’ survival would involve reversing a cultural change, and perhaps one of the key things that could propel this is stepping away from rehashing the same ideas and moving towards the original cinema that independents strive to offer.

There is still hope for original cinema. Over the last few months, Sinners has been making waves across the world. The film has just become the highest-grossing original film in a decade in America, and so far, it has grossed over $351 million worldwide in the box office worldwide. While there is still a vast expanse between this and what we’ve seen the big franchises bring in, it shows that people are eager to see something fresh.

Sinners is a great example of what original cinema can be. In a climate populated by franchises, people have developed a preconception of original cinema consisting of arthouse films, but original ideas can just as easily cater to an audience seeking action-packed stories as the MCU can.