between AMC Theatres and Universal Pictures to shorten the traditional theatrical window of exclusivity for Universal properties is the sort of movie news that doesn’t come around every day. This is nothing less than the first step in dismantling the currently existing system of theatrical distribution for new movies, and doing so in a big way, with Universal films now free to head to premium VOD after only three weekends of 17 days, rather than the usual 90 days.
It’s not surprising, then, that the CEO of Cinemark has more than a few reservations about the AMC-Universal plan. In a statement Tuesday, CEO Mark Zoradi“We have publicly stated we’re willing to have conversations with our studio partners to evolve with them. But an aggressive shortened theatrical window could have an adverse impact on the mid-to tail-end of a film’s life. We will be very careful and methodical about how we approach any change to the theatrical window.
Note that Zoradi is by no means willing to state that Cinemark would explore such a deal with Universal or other studios, but he’s clear about the company’s fear of what an “aggressive shortened theatrical window” could entail. He also mentioned the company being in “open and active discussions” with studios, but it’s impossible to say where those talks might lead. It certainly sounds like he believes that a merely 17-day theatrical window is too short, however.
NBCUniversal, meanwhile, is unsurprisingly pretty happy with their advantageous new way of life, with CEO Jeff Shell referring to the AMC deal as “groundbreaking,” calling it a “complement rather than a replacement for a robust theatrical release.” Be that as it may, it seems increasingly likely that when the pandemic is finally finished, we’ll be returning to a film industry that looks radically different in terms of both production and distribution.
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Source: THR - 🏆 411. / 53 Read more »