![]() "Both Amazon and Apple have signaled that they have $1 billion-plus in forward budgeting for the production and marketing of movies to be released theatrically," Fithian says. This year, around three dozen more wide releases are on the schedule. The problem, exhibitors argued, was not enough supply. With 63% of 2019's wide releases, the box office reached 64% of 2019's box office. Last year, Hollywood's theatrical pipeline fell well short of the pre-pandemic rate of wide releases. Expect chest-thumping proclamations of revival. On Monday, the trade group will convene exhibitors in Las Vegas for a CinemaCon sure to be triumphant. "It's springtime in the theatrical business," exclaims John Fithian, the soon-departing president and chief executive of the National Association of Theater Owners. After a dismal 2020, a trying 2021 and a fitful comeback last year led by "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water," optimism abounds that movie theaters have weathered the storm. Movie after movie has overperformed at the box office lately, including "Creed III" (released by MGM, which Amazon owns) and Lionsgate's "John Wick: Chapter 4." With more than $600 million in two weeks, Universal Pictures' "Super Mario Bros." is breaking records for animated films. Moviegoing still hasn't yet reached pre-pandemic levels, but it's getting close. A film dropped straight into a vast digital expanse might go viral or quickly fade into one of a million things you can click on. But whether a movie is headed to a streaming platform or video on demand, the splash of a theatrical run can cascade through through every subsequent window. It takes a robust marketing blitz to raise awareness for a film. "No matter how much you spend, that's a hard thing to replace." "We truly think that by putting it into theaters, you just can't otherwise get that kind of word of mouth and press around it," says Kevin Wilson, Amazon Studios and MGM theatrical distribution executive. Movie theaters and (most) streaming services are turning out to be fast friends, after all. Apple is set to spend $1 billion a year on movies that will land in cinemas before streaming. ![]() Amazon Studios, led by Jennifer Salke, is planning to release 12-15 movies theatrically every year. Launched on 3,507 screens, "Air" was the biggest release ever by a streamer - and it's just the start. Companies like Amazon and Apple are sprinting into multiplexes, taking a distinctly different approach to the staunchly streaming-focused Netflix. Not only has that forecast fallen flat, the opposite is happening in some cases. Moviegoing was destined to die, they said. Not long ago, some were predicting more and more films would be diverted from theaters and sent straight into homes. "It should function as free advertising to create this halo effect which in turn creates more viewers on the service," says Affleck, who directed and co-stars in "Air." "If that's the case, I think the business will really expand and go back to a broader theatrical model." When "Air" does arrive on Prime Video, the studio and its filmmakers expect an even better showing than if they hadn't launched in theaters. And in its first two weeks, "Air" has been a hit.Īfter a strong five-day debut of $20.2 million - especially good for an adult-skewing drama - "Air" dipped only 47% in its second weekend. "Air," about Nike's pursuit of a shoe deal with Michael Jordan, went over so well with early audiences that Amazon, despite acquiring the film for its Prime Video streaming service, wanted to launch it in theaters. "It wasn't what we expected when we first made the deal." "They said, 'What do you guys think about a theatrical release?'" Damon says. ![]() ![]() NEW YORK (AP) - After Ben Affleck and Matt Damon test screened their Nike drama "Air," the film executives at Amazon Studios threw them a curveball.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |