'The Little Things', a crime thriller starring Denzel Washington (pic) and Rami Malek, topped domestic box office charts, debuting to US$4.8 million (RM19.4 million) from 2,171 venues in North America. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, Feb 1 — Would audiences pay to see a new movie on the big screen if they could watch the same title at home from the comfort of their couch? Prior to the pandemic, the response from theatre operators and cinema purists would have been a resounding “no.”