Warner Sending Entire 2021 Slate to HBO Max and Theaters.

[NI-Gunner]

Seeing the arrogant pricks in Hollywood suffer gives me joy, it really does.

[voltz]

Originally Posted by Poya

At the end of the day, it’s WB’s decision. Nolan doesn’t own Tenet. He didn’t finance it.

Well Legendary had all of their films co-financed, so whether or not WB believes they have a say in the matter, @#$%'s gonna fly!

[Fang Zei]

Originally Posted by Gamma_Winstead

Anyone else find it funny that Nolan is such a champion of the cinematic experience, yet always mixes his films audio so poorly that the optimal way to enjoy his movies is at home with subtitles on?

I’m willing to bet that there’s a strong correlation between audiences who couldn’t understand the dialogue and theaters that don’t have their sound systems properly calibrated.

The AFI Silver’s auditoriums are all THX certified, and they probably would’ve gotten a 70mm print, had they been open. That was the only way I would’ve wanted to see the movie in a theater after reading all the complaints about the sound mix, so I await the bd copy that will come with the UHD (no 4k hardware yet, future-proofing).

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by NI-Gunner

Seeing the arrogant pricks in Hollywood suffer gives me joy, it really does.

Spoiler alert. Everyone is suffering under COVID. Not just Hollywood, but arrogant people across the whole world.

[sandman slim]

Originally Posted by Fang Zei

I’m willing to bet that there’s a strong correlation between audiences who couldn’t understand the dialogue and theaters that don’t have their sound systems properly calibrated.

I saw it on the premiere, state of the art screen in this entire area, the new MXT screen at the Malco Collierville theater. It has the best screen, projector, speakers... best everything. I've seen multiple movies from multiple directors & companies there, and they all had perfect, crystal clear sound. Tenet sounded terrible. Couldn't understand much of the dialog, including the entire opening scene that set up the entire plot. The laser projected 75 foot image was one of the single best video presentations I've ever seen. The audio... eh.

[Poya]

Either way, Nolan lost a lot of respect this year.

[Star Lord]

“Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service,” filmmaker Christopher Nolan, whose relationship with Warners dates back to Insomnia in 2002, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

Wow that was brutal!

[CyberpunkCentral]

Nolan is starting to put a bad taste in my mouth, if the reports are true anyway. WB has always been supportive towards Nolan. But seriously, Nolan? The company that has always had your back and is going through a lot of trouble right now during these unprecedent times, and you can't show the same support as they did with you!?!?! Your movie Tenet was the trigger for them to release all their 2021 movies on HBO MAX in the first place.

[ctujackbauer]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

CNBC: The home of the Sopranos is under siege: Inside the battle for the soul of HBO

Synergy, they said. Own the internet and phone network "pipes" and the content broadcast on it, they said.

[Lee A Stewart]

Independent Cinema Alliance “Disappointed” In WarnerMedia-HBO Max Windows Smashing; NATO Still Silent

The Independent Cinema Alliance, a volunteer alliance of independent cinemas operating in North America, has responded to WarnerMedia’s theatrical-HBO Max 2021 slate day and date release strategy and they’re not pleased. They’re calling on studio of Stanley Kubrick, Clint Eastwood and Harry Potter to recommit to theatrical exclusivity, for that is what drives value to movies, not streaming. Also, the COVID-19 vaccine is around the corner. ICA welcomes “hybrid distribution models” during the pandemic as along as they have fair terms, and that they don’t “reflect long-term, formal shifts in distribution strategies for studio films.”

Still no word from the National Association of Theatre Owners on this whole WarnerMedia-HBO Max hot mess. NATO’s usual line is that as a trade org they don’t dictate or advise on how studios should conduct their business. This despite the fact that the WarnerMedia-HBO Max plan will meltdown exhibition (which NATO is desperately trying to save via a stimulus package for theaters and concert venues), and this despite the fact that NATO reared its head and roared against Universal for its theatrical-PVOD model on Trolls World Tour at the onset of the pandemic. Oh, and let’s not forget NATO’s cowbell ringing over Netflix’s refusal to accept a longer-term window on The Irishman. Hello, NATO, if there’s a time to save theaters, and knock WarnerMedia over the head, it’s now!

https://deadline.com/2020/12/hbo-max...to-1234651973/

[VikingHead2000]

I personally don’t go to the movies anymore. I haven’t had a decent experience in a very long time. There’s always *******s that ruin the experience, you know what I’m talking about (talking, texting on their phones) I absolutely hate it. That’s mostly the reason why me and the wife don’t go anymore, and it’s getting more expensive every year anyway. I have no issues if their’s smaller amounts of theaters left after its all said and done. I truly believe that the majority of people would rather sit at home and stream it on their TV. That’s the way it seems to be headed anyway. WB wants this to happen, so brace for it because it’s here sooner rather then later.

[Bn43]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

With the irony being it would've made **** all, or barely enough to cover its arse. Ditto for Dune. This bit from the THR article speaks to what I said earlier in the thread, that this had a distinct feel of Warners knowing that these incredibly expensive films weren't gonna make a dime in theatrical profits (and would have to spend even more money on them in the form of P&A when the theatrical releases were planned to happen) so dumping them all to streaming is a way to staunch that.



Um...wut? More/less people having 2.39 displays has literally nothing to do with it, moviemakers consider the aspect that they want to best tell their story just like choosing black and white over colour, or film over digital, or anamorphic over spherical lenses: if everything was the same then that'd be boring AF.

The 2.39 aspect isn't going anywhere, if anything it might gain even more traction on the small screen than it already has (though 2:1 is popular too) as people still regard it as a more 'cinematic' ratio than 1.78. It's not about filling the screen.

In the home? It's ALWAYS been about filling the screen, which is why most shows made for TVs do and why too many remasters are still cropped.

At least I won't be alone anymore in wanting more modern shows and movies with different aspect ratios, like academy. I doubt it's always the director or cinematographer's decision anyway. It can also be mandated by the studio.

Spotlight on Zack Snyder Panel - YouTube

16:00 to 22:00: Snyder saying he wanted to present 300 in a more square aspect ratio. He couldn't because of cinema expectations.

Scope is cramped. Of course a movie can look wonderful in scope, but I feel too many movies are in scope that don't need to be, simply because it's considered "cinematic" and fills the massive projection screen better for the few months it is exhibited theatrically.

I'm not suggesting cropping anything. Cropping taller aspect ratios to be more "cinematic" bothers me too.

[chetripley80]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

https://www.motionpictures.org/wp-co...THEME-2019.pdf

And how many of those releases in 2019 played for one weekend in one theater across the country to meet contractual obligations?

[sandman slim]

Well, somebody got paid...

[JayTL]

Originally Posted by sandman slim

Well, somebody got paid...

That's the most clickbaity title in a while

According to the New York Times, Warner Bros. approached William Morris Endeavor and Creative Artists, the talent agencies for Gadot and Jenkins, respectively, in order to get them on board with its Wonder Woman 1984/HBO Max plans. Both agencies reportedly responded by inquiring how their talents would be compensated for the move. The negotiations reportedly ended with Gadot and Jenkins each receiving more than $10 million dollars.

This replaces the back-end they were expected to recieve

[ek79]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Not just Nolan, but sounds like Denis Villeneuve and Jon M. Chu are furious too, but are not speaking publicly about it because they still have to promote their movies. I feel like this might be a studio tuning disaster, as their decades long rep for being talent friendly is gone overnight, and I can’t see how making this decision without consulting talent and partners (sounds like only one of the high level executives wanted to do so and she was blocked), or just hoping Disney will follow suit with no indication of their plans, can be anything other than colossally ill advised.

Jon M. Chu, Denis Villeneuve, James Gunn, Denzel Washington, Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Keanu Reeves, Hugh Jackman, Angelina Jolie... And DGA!

But only Nolan spoke about it.
And he said WB did without consulting them.
For me, that's the problem here.

It's funny to read that Nolan forced Warner to do a Tenet theatrical release. Really? He wanted yes his movie in the street.
But that doesn't meant this year.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

The rumor I heard was that Disney will announce the Mulan PVOD tally and they are so pleased with the results, they will do it again with Black Widow only this time it will be $19.99. February/March time frame.

Can’t wait to have to wait to the BD/4K to actually watch it then

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

AT&T PREDICTED TO SELL OFF WARNERMEDIA, DC COMICS

Time Warner was doing REALLY well under AOL

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Would the amount of pushback be the same if WM announced all 17 films will show in theaters for 30 days, then in addition, they will be added to HBOMax for 30 days, then pulled to reappear some time in the near future while the films follow their normal window of 90 days before starting their journey on home video.

This is the Universal/Netflix model so yes until they get exhausted of it

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Yes they have chosen to put three of their soon to be flops on Disney+. That saves them a ton of money.

Let's see what Disney says this Thursday at their Investor's Day. I am willing to bet it will be nothing like what WM just did.

Mulan, Soul would not be flops in regular circumstances

[mpstjohn]

Originally Posted by Aclea

And yet before he persuaded Warners to release it, people inside and outside the industry were begging him to release it and save theaters and take the curse off it. If he had insisted on holding it back people would be blaming him for being the guy who could have saved movie theaters but didn't. Damned if he did, damned if he didn't.

Considering the industry was suffering and he was contracted to make so much more money from this that the theaters would be settling for a smaller percentage there was likely no winner here but him. WB had to recoup the money they'd spent on this while Nolan made more money than he has before.

If as a sign of goodwill he'd been willing to share some of that extra money he made with the theaters or have WB draw up a new contract to cut the theaters better into the profits we might not have seen so many theaters closing afterward.

As much as he likes to think he was saving the industry, he was the only person who really made money on this deal and the only one to reap its benefits.

[BaronVH]

Originally Posted by Britnasty

Safe to say the WB/Christopher Nolan relationship is over.



https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...rner-bros-plan

I suppose I am in the minority here, but I agree with Nolan. I like movies. Period. I like everything from low budget indie films to big budget popcorn productions, and to think this will not have a negative impact is a problem. I want Dune Part Two. No way does this happen with their model. There are lots of names in the credits of a motion picture. Those are not all studio employees. They need to make another film. This is not like a restaurant closing the dining room for two years. This is like the restaurant doing that and saying that they have a supply of food and are not going to order more when the stock runs out, leaving the supplier, farmer, and drivers out to dry. I understand many don’t like how several theaters operate. I agree, but they have been adapting (slowly, to be sure). I get that is is convenient for people to just watch these at home for selfish reasons, but this decision will have long term ramifications on the quality of the entertainment. Obviously I would like quality entertainment for my own selfish reasons, but I also understand that the hundreds of people in those credits have jobs too and need to work. People have said they enjoy the bigwigs in Hollywood being taken down a notch, but most people that work on these films do not fall into that category; i.e. caterers, drivers, carpenters, etc.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by sandman slim

Well, somebody got paid...

No wonder they've been working overtime on social media.