Are movie theaters dead, or is the big screen irreplaceable?

Date night is the use case nobody in this debate takes seriously, and it's the most honest one. Dinner and a movie has survived every supposed death of cinema because it solves a real human problem: two people need somewhere to go that's low-pressure, time-bounded, and gives them something to talk about after. 'Netflix on the couch' is just Tuesday. The theater persists because courtship persists, and courtship needs a venue. As long as people keep falling for each other, there will be a glowing screen in a dark room waiting for them.