Movie theaters and streamers may end up friends, after all

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Not long ago, some were predicting more and more films would be diverted from theaters and sent straight into homes. Moviegoing was destined to die, they said. Not only has that forecast fallen flat, the opposite is happening in some cases. Amazon and Apple are sprinting into multiplexes, taking a distinctly different approach to Netflix. Launched on 3,500-plus screens, Ben Affleck’s “Air” was the biggest release ever by a streamer — and it’s just the start. Amazon Studios plans to release 12 to 15 movies theatrically every year. Apple is set to spend $1 billion a year on movies that will land in cinemas before streaming. Movie theaters and streamers, believe it or not, are turning into fast friends.