Skip to main content

Major film studios talking to theater owners about earlier home releases

movie studios in talks with chains over earlier home releases hollywood
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Some of us were around back when movie releases functioned differently than they do today. A film would open in theaters before being released on home video on VHS or Beta (kids, ask your parents,) but the process would take many months. Take the 1995 James Bond movie GoldenEye, for example. In theaters in November of 1995, it didn’t get to your local Blockbuster until late May of 1996 — an eternity by today’s standards. Now major movie studios are in talks to really move the process along.

DVD sales are down. They are a major addition to Hollywood’s bottom line, and when the bottom line is threatened, people pay attention. As a result, Bloomberg reports that Universal and Warner Brothers are in talks with theater chains about shortening the time a film is available solely at a movie house, a process known as “windowing.”

Recommended Videos

You and I, AKA “the end user” or “product consumer,” could see access to brand new movies in as little as two weeks after the theatrical release, but there would be a premium price tag of $25 to $50 attached, which is “in line with a pair of tickets at theaters in cities like New York and Los Angeles.”

Kevin Tsujihara, head of Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. said, “We’re working with them to try and create a new window. But regardless of whether it happens or not — whether we are able to reach that agreement with them, we have to offer consumers more choices earlier.”

Regal and Cinemark, 2 of the biggest chains in the country, have been resistant to narrowing the window of in-theater exclusivity, to the extent they boycotted Paramount Pictures films that were released to home video a mere seven weeks after their big screen debut.

Bloomberg adds that “Chains including Cinemark used to enjoy as much as six months of exclusive rights to new releases. In recent years, that has shrunk to about 90 days.” There’s a big difference between three months and two weeks, and it’s, as always, about the dollars. Another big question is how would this effect attendance in theaters? Some of us crave the traditional experience with the popcorn and ambiance, while others just want to flip open that laptop.

This is the type of perplexing issue that always arises when a long-standing paradigm faces its eventual evolution. “This is the way it’s always been” has to change, or it risks stagnation, decline, and eventual failure. The record industry is a prime example of that. Slow to recognize the arrival of the internet (Hello, Napster) they took a huge hit and had to scramble to embrace the new technology that was overtaking the landscape. Steve Jobs saw it and made the move with the iPod and iTunes, and an entire industry eventually lumbered along with him. The movie industry has of course embraced the streaming platforms, but we don’t know what moves the theater chains are going to make just yet.

Brinke Guthrie
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brinke’s favorite toys include his Samsung Galaxy Tab S, Toshiba Chromebook 2, Motorola Moto G4, and two Kindles. A…
Universal Pictures moves to release movies currently in theaters to On Demand
comcast going hollywood looks sell digital movies end year xfinity on demand

The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is prompting much of America to stay home, and in response to that, one studio is releasing films currently in theaters via On Demand. 

Universal Pictures announced on Monday, March 16, that some of its current films would be released for streaming on Xfinity On Demand starting this week, CNBC reports. The Comcast-owned studio will release movies such as Emma, The Invisible Man, and The Hunt. Troll’s World Tour, set to hit theaters April 10, will debut both in theaters and online on that date. 

Read more
Studio Ghibli movies are coming to Netflix, but not in U.S. or Canada
Collage of Studio Ghibli movies

Fans of charming, quirky Japanese animation will be pleased to hear that the movies of legendary animation house Studio Ghibli are coming to Netflix... but only for an international audience. U.S. viewers will be able to stream Ghibli movies on the HBO Max service once it launches, but viewers outside of Northern America and Japan will be able to watch the movies on Netflix starting next month.

“In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences," Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki said in a press release. "We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience.”

Read more
Amazon’s $35 Fire TV Blaster extends Alexa to all of your home theater gadgets
amazon fire tv blaster alexa home theater control

 

If you own an Amazon Echo speaker and one of three select Fire TV devices, Amazon has a pretty sweet proposition for you: Spend $35 on its new Fire TV Blaster and you'll be able to take command of your entire entertainment environment with just your voice.

Read more