KAREN LUSTAÑAS, 30, tries to watch a movie in the Philippine capital at least once a month, if the budget allows it.

“I try to save time and money for films that I really want to see,” she told BusinessWorld in a Facebook Messenger chat. “I can barely afford it, but if I’m a fan of the director or actors, I really have to watch it.”

“Otherwise, I’ll just watch it on a streaming platform,” she added.

As good as the movie industry is in imagining alternate realities, it didn’t see this one coming. Five years after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) decimated the box office here and all over the world, movies are still struggling to come back.

Philippine gross movie ticket sales fell 3.7% year on year to $45.5 million (P2.5 billion) last year, a far cry from the $144.5 million posted in 2019, before the pandemic hit, according to US-based box office revenue tracker Box Office Mojo.

In 2020, gross sales plunged 95% to $7.7 million.

Global cinema ticket sales fell 8.8% last year to €28 billion (P1.8 trillion) from 2023, the first annual drop since COVID-19, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) said last month.

Regular movie ticket prices cost P300 to P400 in Metro Manila, or about half the daily minimum wage. On the other hand, the basic monthly subscription to streaming platforms like Netflix, Max (HBO) and Disney+ costs P150 to P250, and the titles are virtually endless.

“If you think about it, it’s really worth it and more practical to go with Netflix,” Ms. Lustañas, a freelancer, said.

The annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) grossed P800 million last year, hitting the target but failing to top 2023’s record P1 billion despite a week-long extension.

The pandemic forced people to watch movies at home, aiding streaming services like Netflix, whose revenue grew 14% annually to more than $39 billion last year from 2019, according to computations by BusinessWorld using data from the company’s website. Netflix subscribers also doubled to about 300 million over the five-year period.

Since 2020, local box office hits have been few and far between. The latest was Star Cinema’s My Love Will Make You Disappear starring Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino, grossing P12 million on its opening day in March.

“Today, going to the cinema is a more intentional experience, rooted not just in the movie being shown but in the overall ambiance that brings the film to life,” Hamm E. Katipunan, Ayala Malls’ Asset Management head, said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

“It’s not just about waiting for blockbusters to hit streaming sites; Filipinos appreciate the good feeling of watching movies that are truly worth experiencing on the big screen,” he added.

While cinemas run by Ayala Malls, SM Supermalls and other mall chains have diversified their offerings, a pattern has emerged in the top-grossing Filipino films that have drawn people to cinemas.

GMA Pictures and Star Cinema’s co-production Hello, Love, Again starring Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo set the record for the highest opening day gross for a local film with P85 million in November, surpassing the P75-million gross from The Super Parental Guardians in 2016.

‘FORMULAIC STORIES’
It shows that Filipinos watch a movie mainly because of its main cast, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairman Jose Javier Reyes told a news briefing in March, citing a council-funded study involving 800 respondents.

“They can’t afford to go regularly to the movies anymore,” he said. “The biggest blow is that people don’t repeat screenings. They just wait for it to go on streaming platforms.”

The study, done in 2024 in collaboration with De La Salle University to explore the evolving habits, preferences and challenges shaping the local film industry, found that Filipinos from the A, B, and a small part of the C socioeconomic classes regularly watch movies.

The study, which will be released in July as part of the launch of FDCP’s Philippine Film Industry Roadmap, also found that streaming services have become the primary platform for 67% of Filipinos.

Only 21% still frequent cinemas, with many complaining about repetitive movie themes and high ticket prices.

Though stars are still the main movie drawer, the study also found that Filipinos are “sick of formulaic stories,” Mr. Reyes said. He added that the roadmap, mandated by the government, would shed light on how to better support the industry.

In October last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. placed the Film Academy of the Philippines under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to boost Filipino film development.

Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque earlier said the budget for the film industry would increase next year as part of the roadmap. She noted that other countries have been using movies and the creative industry to boost tourism and trade.

Mr. Reyes said movie outfits should improve the quality of their films to boost their success overseas. “In the Philippines, star power is important, but the moment you cross borders, there’s a market for people who are more interested in the material itself,” he pointed out.

Rico V. Gonzales, head of distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines, said the company supports the local industry by distributing two to three Filipino movies yearly, along with the usual foreign releases from Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures.

“It’s part of the goodwill of the company to help local producers who don’t have a distribution arm, compared with the likes of Star Cinema and GMA Pictures, which have the power to do it themselves,” he said.

In 2023, they distributed the horror movie Mallari at the MMFF, followed by the romantic drama Under Parallel Skies, the thriller Uninvited at the 2024 MMFF and the romantic comedy Ex Ex Lovers. The latest was Combo on the Run, a documentary on the Filipino band Eraserheads.

“Cinemas have always had competition — cable TV, DVDs, and now streaming,” Mr. Gonzales said. “We just have to give people reasons to go back.”

“Hopefully, with our efforts, we can show that we can continue watching stuff on streaming services, but that nothing can match or duplicate the theatrical experience every now and then,” he added.

Meanwhile, malls continue to make money from blockbusters, which accounted for 60% of total box office revenue last year, better than 40% a year earlier, according to Ayala Malls. The number of movies screened in 2024 also rose by 22%.

Film festivals have become an avenue to take advantage of foot traffic to drive curiosity about new films and tap into a sizeable niche audience of cinephiles who go out of their way to seek new experiences.

Concert films are also a huge draw, along with fan-based events, both of which generate online traction, SM Supermalls President Steven Tan said.

He added that film screenings and festivals in partnership with the cultural arms of various embassies, from the Chinese to the French, add color to available offerings.

They also “provide enjoyable third spaces for local communities, attracting diverse audiences with exclusive and innovative entertainment offerings,” Mr. Katipunan said.

“We champion the growth of the local film industry by hosting independent festivals like Cinemalaya [Philippine Independent Film Festival] and showcasing indie movies,” he said. “This enables Filipino filmmakers to reach a mainstream audience.”

Mr. Reyes said stakeholders should work together to address the issues plaguing Philippine cinemas.

“The full results of our study will be helpful, but we’re throwing the ball to all stakeholders so that we can come up with solutions to further the growth of this industry,” he added. — B.H. Lacsamana