Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Since the recent discussion was no longer about the entertainment industry, comments on remote learning have been split off here
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- Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2015 4:18 pm
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Part of me wonders whether studios' willingness to push release dates back further and further is a result of this ruling, which opens the doors for studios to buy up the failing chains with little or no fuss. By moving release dates back further and further, AMC and CInemark's stock prices keep tanking and their valuations plummet enough for Disney or Amazon to come in and buy them up nice and cheaply.aox wrote: ↑Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:20 pmI agree with your sentiment that the GOP doesn't give a shit, but someone has their ear: U.S. judge ends decades-old movie theater rules set by Hollywood studios. That crusade was lead by Trump's Justice Department.
- The Fanciful Norwegian
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Teegeeack
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Disney and Amazon could've bought theater chains whenever they wanted, they weren't covered by the consent decrees. Amazon has been the subject of a lot of recent rumors about their exhibition ambitions so maybe this will finally convince them to take the plunge, but it would be very strange if Disney—which has never shown any interest in exhibition outside of the El Capitan and the Crest, the latter of which they didn't hang onto for long—got into the barely-profitable theater business shortly after a massive corporate restructuring that effectively puts their streaming services in the driver's seat.
- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Weren't many or most studios never technically covered by the consent decrees (although they still might have gotten themselves in hot water with an overreach--at least under an unsympathetic administration)? I feel like if the studios felt that it made business sense to return to vertical integration, we would have seen a lot of gradual movement in that direction over the past decades. As much as I hate the Justice Dep't under Trump and presume the worst of their motives, I doubt this ruling is going to have the sort of sweeping effects many worry it will.
The original decision and consent decrees didn't have many of the effects government regulators were anticipating, anyhow. Studios-as-distributors maintained a near-stranglehold over exhibitors for many years, and—as recent events have indicated— still today. (There have been openings for various mini-majors over the years, none of which—aside from Disney, which has become the behemoth—seem to last all that long.) Corporate oligopoly has only intensified in the many years since people started complaining about the pernicious influence of the major studios. I'm not sure this decision will do much to accelerate that.
The original decision and consent decrees didn't have many of the effects government regulators were anticipating, anyhow. Studios-as-distributors maintained a near-stranglehold over exhibitors for many years, and—as recent events have indicated— still today. (There have been openings for various mini-majors over the years, none of which—aside from Disney, which has become the behemoth—seem to last all that long.) Corporate oligopoly has only intensified in the many years since people started complaining about the pernicious influence of the major studios. I'm not sure this decision will do much to accelerate that.
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- Joined: Sat May 25, 2019 11:58 am
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Borat to Amazon sold for 80 mil though there were rumors of 120 mil earlier. Seems like a decent deal for Universal and Cohen. No wonder the Bond film was asking around for 600-800 mil.
- Never Cursed
- Such is life on board the Redoutable
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- mfunk9786
- Under Chris' Protection
- Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Not great! With a vaccine right around the bend, I am sort of surprised that Warners is expecting movie theaters to be at partial capacity for the entirety of 2021. Once many citizens are vaccinated in Q1 2021, wondering what the societal/governmental justification is going to be for such a thing, say, when Dune is released in October. Seems unlikely to me that by then, we're still going to be petrified of getting near anyone, but perhaps so.
Also aggravating: HBO Max still is not on Roku devices, and does not include 4K content with no apparent plan to add it. Watching a film that was shot and finished at 4K or better streamed in a blocky 1080p format in the year 2021 is not my idea of a good time.
Also aggravating: HBO Max still is not on Roku devices, and does not include 4K content with no apparent plan to add it. Watching a film that was shot and finished at 4K or better streamed in a blocky 1080p format in the year 2021 is not my idea of a good time.
- DarkImbecile
- Ask me about my visible cat breasts
- Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:24 pm
- Location: Albuquerque, NM
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
I made my peace earlier this year with the idea that the theatrical experience is going to be a much smaller part of the film world going forward, so I’m only mildly ready/hyperventilating now.
- captveg
- Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:28 pm
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
The pandemic ripped the bandaid off of the diminishing theatrical exhibition model. After it all shakes out the big tentpole films will still have the theatrical attendance of the enthusiasts, but more often than not it will need to be at a meal serving theater or an IMAX event screen. The age of the multiplex and cheap(er) theaters is over. It's event cinema only, whether that's the screen size, meal serving, or indie/foreign/repertoire darlings.
4K, HDR10, DolbyVision and Dolby Atmos are debuting with Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas. Roku is a matter of when, not if. I'm sure the news today of all the content coming to HBO Max is only going to move those negotiations along.mfunk9786 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 2:52 pmAlso aggravating: HBO Max still is not on Roku devices, and does not include 4K content with no apparent plan to add it. Watching a film that was shot and finished at 4K or better streamed in a blocky 1080p format in the year 2021 is not my idea of a good time.
- mfunk9786
- Under Chris' Protection
- Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Your lips; god's ears
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Luckily my new smart TV came with the HBO Max app built in. Can’t you just buy an Amazon Fire the next time it goes on sale for $20?
- mfunk9786
- Under Chris' Protection
- Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
That's $20 on top of the hundreds of dollars in Roku devices in three rooms of my house (including a Roku TV (TM)), the moment before they started treating being added to their channel lineup like a high tension Shark Tank negotiation every time one of these big new streaming services comes along. Remind me how all this is better than cable, again
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- Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
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Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Glad they took the leap into going 4K with this, the 2021 releases, and hopefully more of their original programming and catalog movies. I can retire my joke about not being surprised they don't care about reception quality, being owned by a phone company and all.captveg wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 3:14 pm4K, HDR10, DolbyVision and Dolby Atmos are debuting with Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas. Roku is a matter of when, not if. I'm sure the news today of all the content coming to HBO Max is only going to move those negotiations along.
- Monterey Jack
- Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2018 1:27 am
- mfunk9786
- Under Chris' Protection
- Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Did I miss where Warners said these films will no longer be released in theaters?
If anything, I think we're entering an era where what was once called an "event" or "tentpole" film will come out with day and date streaming (which will be perilous for multiplexes outside of major cities) - think Marvel, Disney, DC, etc - while "art films" of all stripes and budgets will still see release in theaters before streaming and primarily in the sorts of theaters that regularly sell tickets for these sorts of films anyway. In other words, people who like to go to the movie theater to see good movies can still do so, while the $100 tab for popcorn and soda for your kids is probably headed out the door.
This might be a... good thing in the long run? Growing pains are coming, no doubt about it, but if I'm going to a 24 screen Regal on a Tuesday night to see Richard Jewell with two other people, it does not matter to me that 20 of those screens are showing a Marvel movie, and I would rather just go to an art theater or a sustainably smaller one to see that sort of film anyway. Of course, we will see how slippery this slope is. If we see day and date releases on Sony Pictures Classics Max and Focus Features Max (and of course, these are imprints of larger corporations [in Focus' case, that already have streaming services of their own] that we're lucky to have still going at all, COVID or no COVID), then it's time to freak out.
If anything, I think we're entering an era where what was once called an "event" or "tentpole" film will come out with day and date streaming (which will be perilous for multiplexes outside of major cities) - think Marvel, Disney, DC, etc - while "art films" of all stripes and budgets will still see release in theaters before streaming and primarily in the sorts of theaters that regularly sell tickets for these sorts of films anyway. In other words, people who like to go to the movie theater to see good movies can still do so, while the $100 tab for popcorn and soda for your kids is probably headed out the door.
This might be a... good thing in the long run? Growing pains are coming, no doubt about it, but if I'm going to a 24 screen Regal on a Tuesday night to see Richard Jewell with two other people, it does not matter to me that 20 of those screens are showing a Marvel movie, and I would rather just go to an art theater or a sustainably smaller one to see that sort of film anyway. Of course, we will see how slippery this slope is. If we see day and date releases on Sony Pictures Classics Max and Focus Features Max (and of course, these are imprints of larger corporations [in Focus' case, that already have streaming services of their own] that we're lucky to have still going at all, COVID or no COVID), then it's time to freak out.
- colinr0380
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
- Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
I'm just concerned as to how it may affect the physical media market. Hopefully some films will still come to disc and streaming will not be seen as the be all and end all of things.
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- Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
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Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Should be noted that these films will only be on HBO Max for a month. Then most likely to come back when they normally would, 9 months or so after theatrical release and not that long after digital and physical releases.
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
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- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
When do you folks think "movies" began?Monterey Jack wrote: ↑Thu Dec 03, 2020 5:02 pmR.I.P. movies 1920/2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzSlRO57itI
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
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Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Mid-1890s, obviously.
But maybe - clutching at straws, I know - this is a reference to the studio system, not movies in general?
But maybe - clutching at straws, I know - this is a reference to the studio system, not movies in general?
- whaleallright
- Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:56 am
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
the studios will (probably) do just fine, just as they have through all the other major changes in the industry (well, save for RKO and, I guess, M-G-M). theater chains, I'm not so sure.
- aox
- Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
- Location: nYc
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Well, let’s be real, he just made sure it dies by writing this open letter...Warner Bros. might just have killed the “Dune” franchise.
- mfunk9786
- Under Chris' Protection
- Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a much better film seen in the light of knowing another isn't coming, maybe this will turn out to be similar
- Finch
- Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
- Location: Edinburgh, UK
Re: Coronavirus' Effect on the Entertainment Industry
Sign ups for HBO Max in the next six months will be key. If those subscription figures don't rise as much as AT&T clearly expects them to, you'd think that the fall titles at least will revert to theatrical only, maybe even Godzilla vs Kong if the vaccine is widely available by May.