Release windows for theatrical and video-on-demand in the streaming age are unsettled, suddenly experiencing significant upheaval across the globe. An animated Disney film skips theatrical in France (see accompanying “Strange World” image) to go straight to Disney+ streaming. And a separate Apple TV+ deal for a Brad Pitt movie reportedly incorporates an unprecedented … [Read more...] about New Streaming Deals Upend Status Quo
cinema distribution
‘Ambulance’ Cinema Stumble Blamed on Netflix
The boxoffice stumble of Universal Pictures’ action thriller “Ambulance” is blamed on Netflix streaming original movies in the action-adventure genre, diminishing audience desire to hoof to cinemas for the same. Helmed by pedigree action-film director Michael Bay, R-rated “Ambulance” ranked fourth the past weekend with a weak $8.7 million in boxoffice for the three-day … [Read more...] about ‘Ambulance’ Cinema Stumble Blamed on Netflix
Financier Disses Pairing VOD With Cinema
A financier that invested billions of dollars in producing films with Warner Bros. Pictures asserts in a lawsuit that simultaneous streaming with cinema premieres diminishes economic return, especially from piracy spawned by streaming. Australian media company Village Roadshow (VRS) sued Warners for premiering its calendar 2021 film slate (17 theatricals) on corporate … [Read more...] about Financier Disses Pairing VOD With Cinema
Booking Classics in Cinemas
Focused on their new release slates, movie companies generally offload the cinema bookings of their older films. United Kingdom-based Park Circus the leader in distributing classics and retrospectives as a sales agency and distribution company. "Sales agent” means has deals to book screenings of back-catalog movies of Hollywood’s major studios plus others. Park Circus gets … [Read more...] about Booking Classics in Cinemas
Female Demo Lags in Cinema Rebound
Cinema-going is bouncing back but one troubling trend is apparent. The female demographic — particularly older women — are not returning to movie theaters at their prepandemic proportion. And it remains to be seen if female underrepresentation is only temporary or permanent, which would be a blow to the cinema industry. Females accounted for 51% of the population, but only … [Read more...] about Female Demo Lags in Cinema Rebound
Popcorn Films Pop in Pandemic
Recovering cinema-going in the U.S./Canada is being led by films in genres attracting the youth demographic, according to a Variety analysis. On the other hand, titles catering to older audiences have languished, which is no surprise because the pandemic hits oldsters hardest, keeping them cautious about mingling with crowds like cinema audiences. “Much of this year’s bounty … [Read more...] about Popcorn Films Pop in Pandemic
Indies Battle Cinema Marketing Costs
There’s an unfolding tug-of-war over independent films, defined as titles not distributed by Hollywood’s five major studios. Cinemas want to keep them on their silver screens while video streamers, which enjoy more-favorable economics, are siphoning them away. Distributors of indie movies generally want theatrical release, but cinema marketing costs are a perennial obstacle. … [Read more...] about Indies Battle Cinema Marketing Costs
BO Reporting Going Underground Again?
One little-appreciated outgrowth of pandemic-related “the new normal” is that reporting boxoffice grosses immediately and publicly has become irregular. For about a quarter century previously, industry allowed cinema ticket sales revenue to be publicly announced quickly, though it’s little remembered that previously those figures were confidential (explained further … [Read more...] about BO Reporting Going Underground Again?
Analysts Map Cinema’s Future
Business analysts looking beyond the current Covid-19 pandemic disruption see a comeback picture for the silver screen. That's the case even though the customary 120-to-90-day window shrinks between theatrical and TV (such as video streamers like Netflix) and Hollywood trying different combinations of cinema/streaming sequencing for individual movies or batches of … [Read more...] about Analysts Map Cinema’s Future
Hollywood’s ♥️ Affair: Still ‘Dating’ Cinema
Hollywood still shows its love for cinema, despite the naysayers. Lost in the current theatrical release depression is that movie distributors continue to aggressively schedule cinema premieres months and even years ahead, when the Covid-19 is expected to be gone. Such film release scheduling is known as “dating” in Hollywood parlance. And, yes, such dating can be undone. … [Read more...] about Hollywood’s ♥️ Affair: Still ‘Dating’ Cinema