Warner Sending Entire 2021 Slate to HBO Max and Theaters.

[EvaDK]

WW84
Dune
The Batman
Matrix 4
Godzilla
The Conjuring
The Suicide Squad

I reckon we are looking at about $4-4.5 Billion in global box office revenue among those titles (had Covid-19 not been a thing). How much of that will Warner forfeit by sharing release dates with HBO Max and how much will be gained in the form of new subscriptions revenue?

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by JayTL

Theaters main issue isn't the pandemic.

In your own words, movie going was much more popular 20+ years ago

Not really the takeaway - 25% of the last 90 years 50 highest grossers simply puts the case that there have always been blockbusters, and pretty evenly spaced throughout film history. They're not the recent gamechanging phenomenon you claimed.

That's not a Covid problem. That's a systematic issue with the theatrical experience. To many people, it's not worth going anymore..

Last year one studio pulled in $11.1b theatrical: worldwide theatrical exhibition pulled in $42.5b (curiously a higher number of tickets sold than just 18 years ago). That's a lot of people thinking it is worth going. So yes, this does look very much like a Covid problem. The question is not will theaters survive but the duration and severity of their Long Covid after effects.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by EvaDK

WW84
Dune
The Batman
Matrix 4
Godzilla
The Conjuring
The Suicide Squad

I reckon we are looking at about $4-4.5 Billion in global box office revenue among those titles (had Covid-19 not been a thing). How much of that will Warner forfeit by sharing release dates with HBO Max and how much will be gained in the form of new subscriptions revenue?

But Covid-19 IS a thing so your analysis means zip.

Know how much a movie earns sitting on a shelf? Nothing!

[captveg]

Originally Posted by EvaDK

WW84
Dune
The Batman
Matrix 4
Godzilla
The Conjuring
The Suicide Squad

I reckon we are looking at about $4-4.5 Billion in global box office revenue among those titles (had Covid-19 not been a thing). How much of that will Warner forfeit by sharing release dates with HBO Max and how much will be gained in the form of new subscriptions revenue?

The Batman is a March 2022 release, not premiering on HBO Max alongside theaters (yet).

[Brian81]

Most seem happy to see theaters die. They think watching on TV is just as good as a theater. They see no value in the immersive screen size and viewing angle, the surround sound, or the picture quality. TV is just as good to them.

Myself? I see the compression problems with the 4K video release of Total Recall. Even with the best designed home theater (which is far beyond what those 'good enough' people would put together), it will still never be as good when the source content we are provided with is as flawed as it is.

[EvaDK]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

But Covid-19 IS a thing so your analysis means zip.

Know how much a movie earns sitting on a shelf? Nothing!

All movies sit on a shelf earning nothing, before release.

If theatrical box office is cancelled or reduced, the consequence could be fewer big budget films getting greenlit, from the likes of Villeneuve and Nolan; anything not super-hero genre or without an existing fanbase.

Originally Posted by captveg

The Batman is a March 2022 release, not premiering on HBO Max alongside theaters (yet).

Gotcha!

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Brian81

Most seem happy to see theaters die. They think watching on TV is just as good as a theater. They see no value in the immersive screen size and viewing angle, the surround sound, or the picture quality. TV is just as good to them.

Myself? I see the compression problems with the 4K video release of Total Recall. Even with the best designed home theater (which is far beyond what those 'good enough' people would put together), it will still never be as good when the source content we are provided with is as flawed as it is.

Eh, I don't think most want theaters to die. Rather, they are simply far pickier now about the theatrical experience. This has been a trend for a couple decades now, as streaming advanced this idea that home video rentals started, and now the pandemic has slammed things into light speed.

People want the large screen etc., but they want it to be *special*. They'll pay $25 a ticket 3-4 times a year if they get dining service, and IMAX screen, and amazing sound for a film that is going to take advantage of that setting. There's a reason why small indie dramas weren't getting those screens the last decade - there wasn't money in it. People have generally decided dramas are to be seen at home, even pre-pandemic.

Theatrical exhibition has been moving into the boutique, pamper-the-patron-at-a-premium-price model for a while now. It's why AMC and other multiplex businesses invested in faux IMAX screens, recliners, and monthly subscriptions recently - those smaller secondary screens weren't bringing people out.

Theaters will survive, but with serious paradigm shifts in the model. There's still live theater, after all. At a premium.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by EvaDK

If theatrical box office is cancelled or reduced, the consequence could be fewer big budget films getting greenlit, from the likes of Villeneuve and Nolan; anything not super-hero genre or without an existing fanbase.

I'm not gonna cry too much if Villaneuve or Nolan have to tell stories with reduced budgets. (As long as Dune gets its sequel for the former). They've proven with their earlier films that they are more than capable. Getting more modestly budgeted dramas greenlit more frequently again might be a strong silver lining among all this.

[Alan Lindsay]

Originally Posted by Brian81

Most seem happy to see theaters die. They think watching on TV is just as good as a theater. They see no value in the immersive screen size and viewing angle, the surround sound, or the picture quality. TV is just as good to them.

Myself? I see the compression problems with the 4K video release of Total Recall. Even with the best designed home theater (which is far beyond what those 'good enough' people would put together), it will still never be as good when the source content we are provided with is as flawed as it is.

Unfortunately over the years I've had my fair share of bad theater experiences do to many theaters not setting up their showings properly. Either they're distorting, out of focus and even at times experiencing lip syncing issues. So it can still have issues that home does not. But I still prefer the overall experience of seeing movies in theaters. I just think both have benefits. That's why I buy movies. If our home systems sucked so bad, why are we spending our money on physical copies or even hanging out on of website focused on home experiences.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by EvaDK

All movies sit on a shelf earning nothing, before release.

If theatrical box office is cancelled or reduced, the consequence could be fewer big budget films getting greenlit, from the likes of Villeneuve and Nolan; anything not super-hero genre or without an existing fanbase.

It takes what - a year to make a big budget movie? Hollywood lives and breathes blockbuster movies. It's the foundation of their revenue: box office, merchandise, home video, etc. What has happened due to the pandemic will be nothing more than a footnote. Yes it affected all movies scheduled to be released in 2020 and yes it continues to affect 2021 releases.

Movie theaters aren't going to die . . . nor will the big budget blockbuster movies. Both will just be trimmed back: less screens and fewer BBB movies in the very near future.

[CyberpunkCentral]

Movie theaters won't completely die, but it will become a niche.

[trekky76]

I can't seriously believe there are folks here comparing this change to music streaming. The death of physical media brought a major change to the music industry. The major artists survived but modern music in general isn't what it used to be.
In the end though, for cinema, you just give the consumer a cheap and easy access to expensive content. It's naive to think that change of habit can be easily reversed.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by Alan Lindsay

Unfortunately over the years I've had my fair share of bad theater experiences do to many theaters not setting up their showings properly. Either they're distorting, out of focus and even at times experiencing lip syncing issues. So it can still have issues that home does not. But I still prefer the overall experience of seeing movies in theaters. I just think both have benefits. That's why I buy movies. If our home systems sucked so bad, why are we spending our money on physical copies or even hanging out on of website focused on home experiences.

There are good theaters and bad theaters: generally I find all have their issues - my nearest has great screens and great prices but it's a pain buying tickets now that the ticket booths are geared to selling concessions as well, which slows the line to a crawl; the next nearest has great service but uncomfortable seats; the nearest (but not that near) arthouse has gone to shit since it changed ownership and now has crap projection standards and sky high prices, so I've ruled that one out along with the one that used to have only one projectionist for 14 screens and no-one checking the picture (which meant regularly spending ten minutes finding someone to get the projectionist to sort out the focus). You just have to find one that does more right than wrong and hope they get the movies you want to see. So I end up seeing some movies I'd like to see on the big screen at home when they don't and some on the big screen depending on which supplies what I demand.

Curiously although I had Amazon Prime and tried out a few smaller streamers in the past, the sheer volume of stuff available and the difficulty sorting through it usually resulted in my not actually watching that much that way - there was either no urgency or it was so well hidden I didn't know they had stuff I wanted to see until I'd cancelled my subscription. Streaming doesn't just take the event factor out of movies for me, it tends to turn them into stuff I say I'll watch later but rarely do.

There's something about the effort you have to put into going to a theater or buying a disc that makes a film more of a priority or event, in much the same way that rooting through a dozen bricks and mortar stores to find that obscure DVD/Blu/CD/LP/book etc you were searching for for years made it more of a prize than just being able to order online.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Curiously although I had Amazon Prime and tried out a few smaller streamers in the past, the sheer volume of stuff available and the difficulty sorting through it usually resulted in my not actually watching that much that way - there was either no urgency or it was so well hidden I didn't know they had stuff I wanted to see until I'd cancelled my subscription. Streaming doesn't just take the event factor out of movies for me, it tends to turn them into stuff I say I'll watch later but rarely do.

The one month time frame of the WB HBO Max/theatrical releases adds a new wrinkle that may unlock this for someone like yourself. Knowing there's a deadline to watch the new film before it goes away for an unknown amount of months in order to be sold at a fee via POV on other platforms, similar in cost to a month of HBO MAX, may give a much needed exclusivity ticking clock element to streaming movies.

[Lee A Stewart]

AT&T Boss John Stankey Says Movie Theaters Will Always “Have A Role In Society”, But Streaming “Horse Left The Barn”

https://deadline.com/2020/12/att-joh...ws-1234650649/

[metsfan1545d]

awesome news

theater prices been out of control for awhile

[sandman slim]

Originally Posted by hudson4k

How is this not spam? Just articles with no context or explanation, not even a quote?

I'm convinced he's a bot.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by sandman slim

I'm convinced he's a bot.

I just prefer to post articles with intelligent feedback as opposed to most of the dribble found on these threads.

[BluPat]

I would rather they release movies onto streaming and physical media the same time as to get the money for the finished product. Like Halloween Kills, Candyman, etc. Just release them already and they can get the money out of the streaming or fans like me buying the PHYSICAL media. I always buy physical media.
All this pushing movies back to next century... Screw that.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

AT&T Boss John Stankey Says Movie Theaters Will Always “Have A Role In Society”, But Streaming “Horse Left The Barn”

https://deadline.com/2020/12/att-joh...ws-1234650649/

I think he's making very reasonabe, pragmatic points. Everyone upset about it have that right to be upset, but he's not wrong about the way the winds are blowing.