Paramount Says 'There Will Be Blood' on HD DVD

[Morety]

Originally Posted by BluOgre

In this case why would Toshiba continue to PAY Parmount if they killed the format? You honestly don't think the contract they signed doesn't have a clause that lets Toshiba stop the marketing dollars for Paramounts titles? Essentially they would have to be the biggest goober lawyers I've ever seen if Toshiba made a contract that stated they were FORCED to support Paramount even after they throw in the towel. What you are saying makes no sense.

Once again, it depends on what's in the contract and how long it was for. As I mentioned, Toshiba were the aggressors in setting up this contract. If anything, they'd want to ensure Para didn't throw in the towel on them.

You're correct, their lawyers should have something in the contract based on hindsight. But did they? If they agreed to pay Para marketing dollars for their movies, and Para's still putting out the movies it is possible that payments must be made, or Toshiba would have to pay Paramount to escape. Maybe Para's waiting for the final dollar negotiations to take place before they can announce anything.

[Morety]

Originally Posted by zuulboy

"likely can't keep supporting HD DVD when Toshiba isn't making players anymore."

lol she could work for Toshiba's PR department! That's a great quote.

[BluOgre]

Originally Posted by krisztoforo

I highly doubt that they have the disks pressed. If this was the case then they should also have a boatload of Transformers BDs in their basement...(hey maybe they do )

An insider already confirmed it was authored for Blu-ray, not pressed though. All I know is back when Parmamount switched my system had a Blu-ray Transformer partnumber already in it (Blockbusters system). It was obvious they were preparing to release it.

You are about 6 weeks away from the street date of this movie so it would have to be pressed for the most part already. I would imagine trying to press titles weeks before it's release is not possible.

[maconomics]

I have to think that Paramount is still legally committed to HDead-DVD. It's a shame they should have saw the Blu- revolution coming. We do not know the clauses in their contract so there is only speculation at this point. This is only my opinion! The blood money Paramount accepted for their HD commitment will more than cover any Blu-ray losses. I think they will wait it out until Toshiba says so! Until they return to blu Paramount is ....

[BigB88]

I think this illustrates just how poorly this Company is run. Notice when they went HD-DVD exclusive, they pulled the plug on Blu-ray immediately. Now that the reverse is the obvious direction, they seem to be very slow to react. This is not the rank and file of the Paramount Home Video division, it’s the management. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the senior management of this division wasn’t replaced within six months. They have made too many mistakes, which has cost their company in $ and in reputation.

[sjy1969]

Don't know whether this is significant or not.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,14...1/article.html

It says non-exclusive license so probably nothing to worry about as regards Blu-ray but you never know with MS.

I'm sure we would have heard something in the wind if there were going to be problems with Paramount.

[JTK]

Originally Posted by BigB88

I think this illustrates just how poorly this Company is run. Notice when they went HD-DVD exclusive, they pulled the plug on Blu-ray immediately. Now that the reverse is the obvious direction, they seem to be very slow to react. This is not the rank and file of the Paramount Home Video division, it’s the management. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the senior management of this division wasn’t replaced within six months. They have made too many mistakes, which has cost their company in $ and in reputation.

Exactly. At least some people in that poorly run company know they've made bad decisions and this was one of the worst and most embarssing for them yet.

They know they're eating big time crow the moment they go public with the inevitable and given announcement. Why it's taken this long, unlike Universal, again just speaks for itself as you spell out.

The longer they drag this out, the more idiotic they look. Just eat your crow Paramount and get it over with already.

I wonder if they have to return the $150 million in incentives and whatever other forms it came in and that's what's holding this thing up?

[Proteus]

Here's a conspiracy theory for you...

What if Microsoft made the same arrangements with Paramount that they tried with Warner (this Live guarantee that caused the whole thing to fail with TW)?

What if in that agreement to get the money from Microsoft (and, yes, they did help with the $150mil) they had to make a committment to Live and not anything else including Blu-ray. Only HDDVD was another acceptable medium.

Wouldn't this have Paramount locked down on contract the full duration? They can only put movies on Live and HDDVD. Sure, HDDVD is dead and gone now; however, Microsoft still has some false hope that Live will actually go somewhere apparently. Perhaps they holding Paramount to the contract to avoid competing with physical media for a bit?

[JTK]

Originally Posted by Proteus

Here's a conspiracy theory for you...

What if Microsoft made the same arrangements with Paramount that they tried with Warner (this Live guarantee that caused the whole thing to fail with TW)?

What if in that agreement to get the money from Microsoft (and, yes, they did help with the $150mil) they had to make a committment to Live and not anything else including Blu-ray. Only HDDVD was another acceptable medium.

Wouldn't this have Paramount locked down on contract the full duration? They can only put movies on Live and HDDVD. Sure, HDDVD is dead and gone now; however, Microsoft still has some false hope that Live will actually go somewhere apparently. Perhaps they holding Paramount to the contract to avoid competing with physical media for a bit?

Doubt it, but that has just enough ring of truth as far as MS goes to make me take pause for a second.

[Spankey]

I wonder if Paramount will just remain silent until the day HD-DVD pulls the plug and then titles just show up on shelves. No announcements. Just act as though they were Blu all along..

[BigB88]

Originally Posted by BluOgre

1) They were already paid. What exactly do you expect Toshiba to pay?

2) Do you honestly think Toshiba wouldn't have a clause in the contract that IF they dropped out of the business they are no longer required to pay any marketing dollars towards Paramounts titles. Look at the 2nd season of Star Trek....it's been out right cancelled because Toshiba refused to pay for it's developement further. How is this any different?

3) Paramount already authored and made the HD-DVD discs. Not releasing it makes it NO sense. Marketing wise would be easy because you just piggy back on DVD commercials/ads.

4) They can't announce a Blu-ray version because there isn't one yet. I hate to break this to you guys but these titles are prepared for high-def way before they are announced. My guess is the BLu-ray version would take a couple of months just to get made.

And yes, Paramount and Universal both look like idiots at this point but what can they honestly do....public flogging?

I would like to correct a misundertanding you obviously have here. Paramount had NO TROUBLE withholding Blades of Glory from Blu-ray when they pulled the plug for their $150m bribe. I don't see the point in releasing something to a DEAD format? It makes no sense, isn't cost justified and what retailer will even except them? This is for mail-order/web house only and how many will be purchased? Or how many websites will even carry? There are only 730,000 HD-DVD players out there, chances are they will be able to sell to less then a quarter of this number (more then likely less then even a quarter!), which means their manufacturing costs will EXCEED their revenue - This is just plain stupid business, no other way to look at it.

[desmond]

Originally Posted by Morety

Toshiba offered them a crapload of money to release movies on HD DVD. You think they're going to stop releasing them and lose the big bucks?

+1.

[JAGUAR1977]

Pentonman wouldn't have been discuussing a planned 'studio party' to celebrate the end of the format war if Paramount weren't already on board.

[richard lichtenfelt]

Highdefdigest spinning again making this look like it was announced today.
The release dates for There Will Be Blood and Sweeney Todd have been posted under their hd dvd upcoming titles link for at least a week now.

[TheRealBob]

Originally Posted by quaylie

this is disturbing that Paramount has not made a statement yet..maybe there was some bad blood between Paramount and the BDA when they split back in August.

Maybe all the people badmouthing them on these forums and saying they'd never buy their titles made them decide they weren't welcome in the Blu-way world? Maybe they read all the posts from people saying they wanted all the top executives fired and Paramount crawling on their hands and knees begging for forgiveness before the BDA should let come back and they took it seriously and just decided, you know what, it's not worth it?

Congratulations, Paramount haters -- you've won! Paramount is never coming back!

[BigB88]

Originally Posted by Spankey

I wonder if Paramount will just remain silent until the day HD-DVD pulls the plug and then titles just show up on shelves. No announcements. Just act as though they were Blu all along..

Yea, they will probably continue to release new titles to HD-DVD and sell to................................................ ................. NOBODY!!!! No wonder Spielberg wants out, it is simply a very poorly run Company.

[BigB88]

Originally Posted by TheRealBob

Maybe all the people badmouthing them on these forums and saying they'd never buy their titles made them decide they weren't welcome in the Blu-way world? Maybe they read all the posts from people saying they wanted all the top executives fired and Paramount crawling on their hands and knees begging for forgiveness before the BDA should let come back and they took it seriously and just decided, you know what, it's not worth it?

Congratulations, Paramount haters -- you've won! Paramount is never coming back!

That would certainly be fine with me! They are without a doubt the worst run Company on the planet right now. I wouldn't want them back, even begging. They simply have no knowledge or sense of the business they are in, which makes them too much of a wild-card and too much of a risk. They can just sit on the sidelines and lose literally billions of dollars, while all the rest of the world turns BLU!

[dlshelt]

Paramount makes an announcement that they will release There will be blood on hd in april? Are they living on another planet?

[BigB88]

Originally Posted by richard lichtenfelt

Highdefdigest spinning again making this look like it was announced today.
This release date has been posted under their hd dvd upcoming titles link for at least a week now.
I noticed it last week and thought that Paramounted is mighty foolish.

Whatever the date, it doesn't matter. In this type of business you need to be prepared to react quickly as to Paramount's credit, they were when they pulled Blades of Glory and other Blu titles after they accepted their $150m bribe. At this point only Universal has shown any form of professionalism, by simply stating the obvious, moving off Red to Blu and moving on. Apparently the brain trust at Paramount Home Video has issues with concepts such as professionalism and moving on. Both Paramount and Universal should pull ALL Red titles, just as Toshiba is doing and simply move on. They have other objectives now and they need to, as a business start growing up and try to meet/exceed those new objectives.

[EvolutionCherry]

Paramount is being controlled by old executives that is behind the times. They need to be fired and a new board of directors to be put in their place.