The future of cinema (pandemic impact/streaming services etc.)

dUb

dUb

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This is shaping up to be quite the conflict.

Basically, having released Trolls World Tour straight to on-demand and it doing well for them (despite being utterly unwatchable), they’ve said they’ll do the same for some films going forward.

The AMC chain in America and now Odeon have responded by banning all Universal Pictures films from their cinemas. The window between cinema release and home has been shrinking lately but this situation seems to have provided an opportunity to do away with it altogether.

So we’ll all be watching the new Jurassic World and Fast & Furious on our phones :)
 
I assume they've run the numbers and there's some logic to it, but this feels very much like cutting off your nose to spite your face on the part of cinemas.

People literally aren't allowed to go at the moment, so the movie biz needs to find a way to get new releases out where people can see them. I'd understand if this were normal times and cinemas were being made to compete directly with these streaming releases, but they're not, so they're just making it difficult for the customers really.
 
It’s stupid on both their parts. Trolls World Tour was £15 on iTunes to RENT. Yes it did well, but oh I WONDER why that was. A film like that is hardly going to do anywhere near that kind of revenue under any other circumstance when lockdown is over.

Some small films have been made available to buy simultaneously with limited cinema releases before and that makes sense, especially for people who want to see them but can’t get to a big city because every one of their local screens is only ever playing blockbusters, but who in their right mind would pay £15 to rent a film? Then again it makes
most sense for large families where one cinema trip can cost them upwards of £50 so if it keeps away the idiots who take their 6 year olds to 150 minute 12A action films then fine by me.

I can see why AMC were annoyed, but seriously also a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
 
Universal will back down eventually I’m sure.

I often watch the Curzon online rentals which are the same time as their cinema releases, but they’ve recently bumped up the price which is understandable but it’s annoying. You’re still not paying for the cinema experience at home.
 
They’ve gone back and corrected it as a mix of cinema and vod release. Several movies were released with these ridiculous rent prices and only Trolls did ok because it’s aimed at braided children who need a distraction during the lockdown.

All the movies that skipped the cinema because of the lockdown were movies that were gonna flop anyway.
 
I think it was a bold move on AMC's part whilst sending a clear message to the rest of the studios too - unfortunately for them, if the other majors choose to entertain this model then which films are they going to pack out their cinemas with?

Universal already trialled the whole VOD/Cinema stratergy before https://screenrant.com/movie-early-vod-release-universal-tower-heist/ $59.99 to watch TOWER HEIST!! :D

Also, Disney pulling Artemis Fowl and releasing direct to Disney+ (ok so not releasing on VOD like Trolls but clearly a ploy for them to bolster their coffers with new subsciptions) things are definitely changing in this current climate and who knows what long lasting impacts it will have.
 
Well that's true, this allows them to save face somewhat.

Ill be interested to see what the new Scooby Doo movie does on VOD since thats had its theatrical release pulled too, are AMC going to ban Warner Brothers movies from the theatres too if Warners annouce it was a success and they *MAY* release more movies to VOD :D
 
So Regal Cinemas (which own Cineworld I believe) have jumped in, whilst not going so far as AMC/Odeon with an out and out boycott ... they said it was completely inappropriate of universal and have also said that they will not show any film that disrespects the 90 day theatre to home window.
 
So from going to a boycott, AMC have now signed a deal with a Univeral which shortens the theatrical window to just 17 days!

Cineworld have said they don’t see how this makes financial sense and they will continue to not show movies that don’t follow the traditional theatrical window.

What a shit show.
 
So the films will all be available at no extra cost (!) for a month only it seems. No idea if/how it will affect things outside the US
 
Oh I do hate it even if I understand why they have to. It's a genuine shame and another example of the societal shift from COMMUNAL to INDIVIDUAL.

There is something very special about experiencing the same thing at the same time with other people. But more and more it's all on your own...music, TV, film...thank God theatre is left.

I also believe in going out to different places for things...I don't like that our houses should be the default venue wherein we watch, listen, play, and shop. Real life happens outside.
 
Honestly for me it changes nothing, I hate watching movies at home and will always go to the theatre if the movie is out even if it’s coming out next week on Netflix or another streaming service.

I understand the implications on the industry but I doubt that they will ever forgo theatrical releases. It just doesn’t create the same buzz.
 
I watched Mank today and spent a lot of time straining my eyes thinking the whole CLASSIC CINEMA thing doesn't work half as well on the small screen.
 
It's certainly not charging us £19 to watch new films from home. Jesus. Well, I can't remember how much it was, but I wasn't having it.
 
Gangsta Nancy Lam said:
I watched Mank today and spent a lot of time straining my eyes thinking the whole CLASSIC CINEMA thing doesn't work half as well on the small screen.
Click to expand...

Same, it just didn’t translate on my iPad.
 
Phoenix said:
Honestly for me it changes nothing, I hate watching movies at home and will always go to the theatre if the movie is out even if it’s coming out next week on Netflix or another streaming service.

I understand the implications on the industry but I doubt that they will ever forgo theatrical releases. It just doesn’t create the same buzz.
Click to expand...

I agree with everything you’ve said but the problem is for everyone saying this, there’s many more hailing this new approach you only have to read the comments every time something like this has been announced.

Whether they were already forming out money and going to the money before Covid is another thing but I do worry where this leaves many theatre owners! It’s a scary prospect that some of the bigger chains are struggling so god knows how the smaller / indie ones are doing.
 
Gangsta Nancy Lam said:
I watched Mank today and spent a lot of time straining my eyes thinking the whole CLASSIC CINEMA thing doesn't work half as well on the small screen.
Click to expand...
I watched Mank at the cinema yesterday. Not the best film for it to be honest and I was expecting more. I might just re-watch Ed Wood now.

Anyway, I hate it when non-cinema goers like to pipe in on arguments about why they don’t care whether cinemas survive or not, just because you can get a semi decent viewing experience at home now. It’s not the same and they know it. Would people be advocating to scrap spectator sports just because they can be filmed, or to end production of physical books in favour of e-readers?
 
Mickey’s rapped some knuckles

mickey mouse GIF by South Park
 
CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG starring Jack Whitehall as an American has been pulled from the release schedule due to supposed COVID concerns.

I wonder if this is the start of another swathe of delays 🥴 (or if it's just because it's shit)
 
There's still no proper trailer for the new Spider-Man FOR EXAMPLE
 
Oh no, how will we survive without a Spider-Man trailer. The Spider-Man fans are awful and they spam most of the internet whining about the trailer. I hope the movie is never released.
 
I assume this has been covered in the Black Widow thread, but the biggest backlash to date from the cinema windows changing is Scarlet Johansson suing Disney for loss of earnings due to the dual date with streaming.

I'm not really taking sides over which billionaire gets to keep their $50m pocket change, but what exactly was Disney expecting to happen?
 
Also I quite liked Christopher Nolan's comment in respect to WB's strategy shift: "there's a big difference between disruption and dysfunction"

MEOW!
 
Also John Krazinski is suing over A Quiet Place 2.
 
It kinda makes me laugh because when I worked for the studios (@dUb might relate) "disruption" was such a buzz word. Everyone was looking for the next quirky new release strategy, but it always felt like an attempt at a PR story rather than long term revenue gain. A direct result of the fucked up hierarchy culture they all have, with senior executives desperately trying to make a name for themselves to stop one of their colleagues pinching their job.
 
I’m curious to see how long this current craze lasts. I don’t see Disney backing down (although I doubt those home releases are making enough money) but the others are flailing. The streaming bubble is going to burst sooner or later.
 
I think the delays are only happening in the uk at the moment. Everyone else is moving forward.
 
I just checked the Box Office and Black Widow is about to surpass F9's total US numbers, so I'm a bit confused. Yes, the grosses aren't what they would be pre-Pandemic, but it seems more like that's the issue than a simultaneous streaming release.

www.boxofficemojo.com

Domestic 2021 Weekend 31

www.boxofficemojo.com www.boxofficemojo.com
 
I assume she gets a smaller cut from streaming than from theatrical. It’s difficult to prove but she definitely lost money cause a portion went to streaming.

I don’t see how this would go to court though. Disney wouldn’t want the numbers they use for PR to be scrutinized and have their actual data out there.
 
Also it could set a precedent they wouldn’t want.

I’m sure others are chomping at the bits to sue studios for the whole movies going to streaming. Dennis Villeneuve is probably getting his case ready waiting for the Dune release.
 
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