The world has woken up to the most exciting of mornings in movie history. Two long-awaited films are finally open to the public. Crowds are forming outside cinemas across the globe. Their choices will decide "the box office fight of the century."

In the white corner there is Oppenheimer, a dark, intense drama about J Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist whose team created the atomic bombA bomb that rapidly releases nuclear energy. .

In the pink corner we have Barbie: a bright comedy in pastel colours.¹ It tells the story of a plastic doll who goes leaves her fantasy home to enter the real world.

These two films are very different. Yet critics are waiting with bated breath for the result of their clash. Which will win the box office battle?² And how many people will watch both on the same day?

The "Barbenheimer" rivalry suggests that cinemas are going strong. Cities are plastered with posters and billboards advertising both. When you search for Barbie on Google, the screen sparkles and turns pink.

Yet the excitement around these new films hides a less rosy reality for cinemas. Director Sam Mendes says: "the great era of movies... is dying". Barbie and Oppenheimer are a break in a slow decline.

There are several reasons. We live in a streaming era, with thousands of films available on our laptops and televisions. During the pandemic, people got used to watching movies on smaller screens. And the present cost of livingThe money that someone needs to afford basic food, housing and clothes. crisis means fewer people are able to afford tickets.

Cinemas face their own rising costs. The American chain Cineworld announced bankruptcyWhen a person or group has no money left and cannot pay off their debts. last year. Its UK branch is preparing to do the same, threatening 128 cinemas. Independent cinemas across the world are facing closure, from Paris to Los Angeles

Even the stars are worried about the future. Big-name actors and writers are currently striking for better pay and protection against AIA computer programme that has been designed to think. . 

There have been some wins. 2019 was the best year for cinemas since 1971. The 10 biggest opening weekends in film history all happened since 2011.

Cinemas could stay alive by changing. Netflix film head Scott Stuber says: "I think theatres will evolve and host social events", such as big sporting events, e-game tournaments and television screenings.

Yes: There are moments of hope, but the trend is downward. Take it from someone who knows, the great film director David Lynch: "Feature films are in a bad place, series have taken their place." 

No: The world moves quickly. The post-pandemic decline could be a temporary blip. As London cinema founder Tyrone Walker-Hebborn says: "People do love it, they just need to get back in the habit."

Or... The golden age of cinema is dead. But film still has a role for those who support it. Opera's heyday ended a century ago, but it still has an existence as a heritage medium. Cinema could be the same.

Atomic bomb - A bomb that rapidly releases nuclear energy.

Cost of living - The money that someone needs to afford basic food, housing and clothes.

Bankruptcy - When a person or group has no money left and cannot pay off their debts.

AI - A computer programme that has been designed to think.