Apple Rolls Back Its Big Plans to Release Movies in Theaters (bloomberg.com) 12
An anonymous reader shares a report: Apple is rethinking its movie strategy after the disappointing box office performance of several big-budget films, including Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, Argylle and Fly Me to the Moon. Apple canceled plans to release Wolfs -- an action comedy starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt -- in thousands of theaters globally. Instead, the picture made its debut in a limited number of venues before it became available on the Apple TV+ streaming service on Sept. 27. Apple plans to use a similar approach with the next few titles on its calendar, including the World War II drama Blitz. Apple, which previously had intended to spend about $1 billion annually on blockbusters for cinemas, won't return to the big screen with a wide, global theatrical release until June with F1 -- a film starring Pitt as a former Formula One driver who returns to racing to mentor a rising star.
[...] Apple is pulling back from theaters at the same time Netflix Inc. and Amazon are reworking their movie strategies. Earlier this year, Netflix hired producer Dan Lin to oversee its film studio, which had spent billions of dollars a year to produce more films than any other company in Hollywood. Yet Netflix struggled to control the quality and cost of its slate, which in some years approached 50 movies. For every hit, such as Bird Box, there were several misses. Lin's predecessor Scott Stuber also clashed with management over its strategy for movie theaters. Stuber wanted to release movies such as Scorsese's The Irishman and the Knives Out sequel Glass Onion widely in cinemas, but he couldn't persuade Netflix co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos. Lin aims to make fewer movies and develop more projects in-house to keep costs down. He has considered scrapping several of the more expensive projects in development at Netflix.
[...] Apple is pulling back from theaters at the same time Netflix Inc. and Amazon are reworking their movie strategies. Earlier this year, Netflix hired producer Dan Lin to oversee its film studio, which had spent billions of dollars a year to produce more films than any other company in Hollywood. Yet Netflix struggled to control the quality and cost of its slate, which in some years approached 50 movies. For every hit, such as Bird Box, there were several misses. Lin's predecessor Scott Stuber also clashed with management over its strategy for movie theaters. Stuber wanted to release movies such as Scorsese's The Irishman and the Knives Out sequel Glass Onion widely in cinemas, but he couldn't persuade Netflix co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos. Lin aims to make fewer movies and develop more projects in-house to keep costs down. He has considered scrapping several of the more expensive projects in development at Netflix.
Napoleon wasn't great (Score:3)
I'm immersed in Napoleonic history and I thought it was poorly constructed to create a love story about a guy who was about nothing but the grasp of naked power in the interest of conquest and order, one of the great captains of history ala Caesar or Genghis Khan. Maybe that was supposed to make the film accessible to wome, but the net effect was to turn what could have been a ripping yarn into a snooze fest.
Re: (Score:2)
This. This is why Hollywood and TV are having a decline -- the pandering.
It doesn't matter what studio, they're all doing it. When they forget to do it, they end up with a hit most of the time.
The boxoffice will eventually force a correction back to good storytelling. If the shareholders don't accelerate that change back to profitability first.
Movies Theaters need more then 0.01% of the gate (Score:2)
Movies Theaters need more then 0.01% of the gate.
as people steak food in to not pay.
$5 for pop
$6.50 for popcorn
$9 for light beer
$10-$12 for real beer
$5 for an candy bar
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as people steak food in to not pay.
Wait... you mean they're eating the concession staff? Why didn't JD warn us?!
Re: (Score:2)
Why didn't JD warn us?!
Dude is a cannibal. He's more worried about your pets than your kids.
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It'll never happen, and theaters have made their profit from concessions since at least the 50's, maybe even pre-war.
Disney, I hear, takes the biggest cut of all the studios when you book their movies.
Great so theyll lower the monthly sub cost right? (Score:2)
With cutting back on production of bad movies and bringing it also in house, will Netflix will pass along these savings to their subscribers.
Anyone? Anyone?
Good (Score:2)
Agree (Score:2)
The movie theater experience is not very pleasant. Poor sound quality has been a major issue in the past couple movies I have seen at a theater. The last one was Dune 2, and some of the dialogue was barely comprehensible due to sound balancing issues.
I haven't been to a theater since, and presently I don't plan on going back at all. Someday my friends might drag me out to one, and I can then see if things have improved. But I have my doubts.
Re: (Score:2)
The movie theater experience is not very pleasant. Poor sound quality has been a major issue in the past couple movies I have seen at a theater. The last one was Dune 2, and some of the dialogue was barely comprehensible due to sound balancing issues.
Probably how they intended it to sound. The days of being able to understand the people speaking in TV shows and movies seem to be in the past, I'm afraid. Maybe the sound engineers are just trying to keep people from noticing how bad the dialog is in most TV shows and movies?