The odds may not have been with traditional theaters this year, but 2020’s circumstances have introduced many to the novel experience of drive-in theaters. It’s the perfect social distancing activity to do at a time when being in the same dark room with a sea of people can be dangerous, and it’s also something Michael B. Jordan took advantage of the summer with his ”A Night At The Drive-In” series.
The Black Panther actor partnered with Amazon Studios to give movie fans five nights of moviegoing under the stars and within the safety of their cars. The drive-in series featured Love & Basketball, Crazy Rich Asians, Black Panther, Creed, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Do the Right Thing, Get Out, Coming to America and Girls Trip between July and August. Michael B. Jordan reflected on the experience with these words:
Obviously it's been a rough summer and we were trying to find ways to bring a little bit of joy, a little happiness to people that were locked in their homes for such a long time. Watching movies for me is definitely an escape, so to be able to partner with Amazon and present/curate these movies, some of my favorite films. To present them in my community and through other theaters throughout the country that have a drive-in theater. To be honest, that was my first time going to a drive-in movie theater when we did it.
The 33-year-old actor admitted while putting together the drive-in nights, he encountered his introduction to this kind of movie viewing. It’s the first time many cinephiles certainly have under their belt thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although theaters have been closed throughout the nation for the better part of the year, these types of theaters have been seeing a huge boom as of late, and it’s a welcome win for the movie industry. Jordan continued to Complex during his interview with this:
It was cool. It was really cool, man. Just to sit in your car with it. Turn your radio up, speakers up and be able to hear it through your car, pop the trunk and watch it through the back. It kind of gave a camp vibe. Get some snacks and don't got to worry about anybody telling you, ‘shh.’ It was a cool experience, man. And hopefully this is something that we can continue to do even after pandemic. Cause I think it might be a nice little bit to kind of keep this thing moving through.
The drive-in versus the theater experiences are much different from one another, but there are some unexpected leg ups watching a movie on the big screen in your car. Oftentimes you can bring your own food and snacks, you can turn up the volume as loud as you want and talk all through the movie if you want to. Also, many drive-in theaters offer double features for about the same price one would pay for a single movie at regular theaters. One oddity is when guests drive away in the middle of a movie – it somehow feels much more dramatic than a person simply walking out in a dark auditorium.
Michael B. Jordan's ”A Night At The Drive-In” series also focused specifically on presenting movies from filmmakers and actors who have been underrepresented on film. The actor has been vocal about making “justice” an important part of his work as both an actor and producer helming his own company, Outlier Society. Jordan’s next movie is Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, coming February 26, 2021 and he’ll be involved in DC’s Static Shock film. Follow what else is coming next year with CinemaBlend’s 2021 release calendar.
