Napster is long gone, but Sean Parker isn’t. Last year he divided Hollywood with the announcement of Screening Room, a new streaming service that allows users to watch movies still in theaters without leaving their home. A new Business Insider report suggests that, as the new premium video on demand (Pvod) venture seeks to gain traction, many in the industry remain skeptical about its long-term prospects.
Read More: Martin Scorsese Pens An Impassioned Defense of Cinema In Response To A ‘Silence’ Critic
“It seems to me it’s often an individual company that comes along and believes it has figured out how to make all the money in the theater space,” said Barbara Twist of Art House Convergence. “Personally, I have yet to see a new version that ensures that everybody keeps making the amount of money currently being made.”
The service would cost $50, of which $20 would go to...
Read More: Martin Scorsese Pens An Impassioned Defense of Cinema In Response To A ‘Silence’ Critic
“It seems to me it’s often an individual company that comes along and believes it has figured out how to make all the money in the theater space,” said Barbara Twist of Art House Convergence. “Personally, I have yet to see a new version that ensures that everybody keeps making the amount of money currently being made.”
The service would cost $50, of which $20 would go to...
- 6/1/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Before arriving at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Monday, multiple people had told me that the National Association of Theatre Owners’ annual trade show is one big love fest. For four days every year, the movie studios stop being fierce competitors and come together to celebrate one thing they can agree on: exhibitors are their very best friends in the world.
‘Blade Runner 2049’: Sony Comes Out Swinging With New Footage at CinemaCon
It didn’t take long, however, to realize that Nato and the studios have different perspectives on the state of the theatrical market. At times, if felt like the 5,000 motion picture professionals in attendance were being sent very mixed messages, underscoring the fact the movies face plenty of uncertainty.
Nato president and CEO John Fithian’s state of the industry address on Monday was about as rosy an outlook on the exhibition industry as you’ll find anywhere.
‘Blade Runner 2049’: Sony Comes Out Swinging With New Footage at CinemaCon
It didn’t take long, however, to realize that Nato and the studios have different perspectives on the state of the theatrical market. At times, if felt like the 5,000 motion picture professionals in attendance were being sent very mixed messages, underscoring the fact the movies face plenty of uncertainty.
Nato president and CEO John Fithian’s state of the industry address on Monday was about as rosy an outlook on the exhibition industry as you’ll find anywhere.
- 3/31/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The movie business may be coming off a record year at the box office with $38.6 billion in revenue in 2016, but underneath those numbers is a film industry with some systemic problems. At the 2017 edition of CinemaCon, the annual trade show in Las Vegas where the studios and exhibitors get together to pat each other on the back, there’s no hiding from the fact that the movies face plenty of uncertainty.
Read More: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ Plays Well at CinemaCon 2017
Disney head of distribution Dave Hollis noted that movie attendance has actually fallen during the past decade, from 1.4 billion tickets to 1.32 billion last year. “Attendance has been more or less flat — not really changing — in the last handful of years,” Hollis said during a state of the industry presentation. “The media environment that we all participate in and that our consumers participate in continues to change rapidly.
Read More: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ Plays Well at CinemaCon 2017
Disney head of distribution Dave Hollis noted that movie attendance has actually fallen during the past decade, from 1.4 billion tickets to 1.32 billion last year. “Attendance has been more or less flat — not really changing — in the last handful of years,” Hollis said during a state of the industry presentation. “The media environment that we all participate in and that our consumers participate in continues to change rapidly.
- 3/29/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
This year, the news coming out of CinemaCon bears watching with a closeness usually reserved for healthcare bills.
The prime topic sounds as wonky as they come: theatrical windows. That cozy phrase, which describes the grace period between a film’s theatrical release and when it’s made available for in-home consumption, has been weaponized. Studios are mulling the real possibility of closing theatrical windows in favor of allowing the audience to pay super-premium prices to watch first-run blockbusters at home.
If that’s the case, those windows are also poised to slam down on indie fingers — but the industry still has the opportunity to yank them out of the way. What it can’t do is believe that somehow the industry will remain the same.
Read More: 7 Filmmakers Turning Amazon Into An Art House Cinema Powerhouse
This time last year, Sean Parker’s The Screening Room created an uproar...
The prime topic sounds as wonky as they come: theatrical windows. That cozy phrase, which describes the grace period between a film’s theatrical release and when it’s made available for in-home consumption, has been weaponized. Studios are mulling the real possibility of closing theatrical windows in favor of allowing the audience to pay super-premium prices to watch first-run blockbusters at home.
If that’s the case, those windows are also poised to slam down on indie fingers — but the industry still has the opportunity to yank them out of the way. What it can’t do is believe that somehow the industry will remain the same.
Read More: 7 Filmmakers Turning Amazon Into An Art House Cinema Powerhouse
This time last year, Sean Parker’s The Screening Room created an uproar...
- 3/28/2017
- by Dana Harris
- Indiewire
A fractured membership, breaking rank, warring factions — no, it’s not the Republican Party. It’s CinemaCon, the annual exhibitors’ convention that will run March 27-30 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
CinemaCon is always a crucible for change in the motion picture industry. It’s a four-day snapshot of the symbiotic and sometimes difficult relationship between distributors and the National Association of Theater Owners, which represents some 40,000 movie screens in North America and cinemas in 50 countries.
See MoreAwards Roundup: CinemaCon to Fete Naomi Watts, Pflag National to Honor Martha Plimpton and More
However, that partnership has never been more fraught than it is now. Studios seriously flirt with bringing first-run major releases into homes, while exhibitors fight tooth and nail to get the public’s butts back into theaters: Their mutual interests are no longer the same.
See MoreCinemaCon 2017: ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘The Beguiled,’ ‘Baby Driver,” and the New Woody Allen...
CinemaCon is always a crucible for change in the motion picture industry. It’s a four-day snapshot of the symbiotic and sometimes difficult relationship between distributors and the National Association of Theater Owners, which represents some 40,000 movie screens in North America and cinemas in 50 countries.
See MoreAwards Roundup: CinemaCon to Fete Naomi Watts, Pflag National to Honor Martha Plimpton and More
However, that partnership has never been more fraught than it is now. Studios seriously flirt with bringing first-run major releases into homes, while exhibitors fight tooth and nail to get the public’s butts back into theaters: Their mutual interests are no longer the same.
See MoreCinemaCon 2017: ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘The Beguiled,’ ‘Baby Driver,” and the New Woody Allen...
- 3/27/2017
- by Anne Thompson and Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Expect traditional release windows and drama at Paramount to be on the agenda.
CinemaCon, the annual convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners (Nato), is focused on the relationship between exhibitors and distributors. And like all long-time relationships, it is one that has learned to take the rough with the smooth. The talking points at this month’s event, held March 27-30 in Las Vegas, are likely to test this dynamic more than ever before.
Will there be a breakthrough on release windows?
While there have been experiments with the average 90-day theatrical window before a film moves on to home entertainment platforms, we are unlikely to see a dramatic paradigm shift at CinemaCon. AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron recently stirred the pot when he said he was intrigued by the notion of home viewing within several weeks of theatrical release if exhibitors could get a share of digital revenues. He noted, however...
CinemaCon, the annual convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners (Nato), is focused on the relationship between exhibitors and distributors. And like all long-time relationships, it is one that has learned to take the rough with the smooth. The talking points at this month’s event, held March 27-30 in Las Vegas, are likely to test this dynamic more than ever before.
Will there be a breakthrough on release windows?
While there have been experiments with the average 90-day theatrical window before a film moves on to home entertainment platforms, we are unlikely to see a dramatic paradigm shift at CinemaCon. AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron recently stirred the pot when he said he was intrigued by the notion of home viewing within several weeks of theatrical release if exhibitors could get a share of digital revenues. He noted, however...
- 3/21/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Screening Room — Sean Parker’s proposed day-and-date film service that had Hollywood buzzing a year ago and then promptly disappeared — is finally taking shape, an individual close to the company told TheWrap. Co-founder and CEO Prem Akkaraju has spent the past year nailing down security protocols to address concerns that the service would be vulnerable to piracy, the insider said, and the company will attend CinemaCon next week to meet with studio heads and movie exhibitors to explore distribution deals. The “refined” security measures are the most evolved part of the product, the individual added — which was reported to involve a set-top.
- 3/17/2017
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
In the year that Netflix, Espn, and Amazon won their first Oscars and a little-seen film about a gay African-American teenager (eventually) won Best Picture, the industry that runs movie theaters is busily trying to figure out how to remain relevant.
What the industry comes up with matters quite a lot. The National Association of Theater Owners (Nato) says there were nearly 41,000 movie screens in the U.S. and Canada in 2016, about double the total of 30 years earlier and the most ever. That’s a lot of real estate, and jobs, tied to a business that last year generated $11.3 billion in domestic box-office receipts.
In part, that still-hefty number is thanks to a 49% jump in average ticket prices since 2002, making up for a 16% decline in ticket sales. And most of the recent growth worldwide has been overseas, which now generates about three-fourths of film-industry revenue. Growth is particularly stout in China,...
What the industry comes up with matters quite a lot. The National Association of Theater Owners (Nato) says there were nearly 41,000 movie screens in the U.S. and Canada in 2016, about double the total of 30 years earlier and the most ever. That’s a lot of real estate, and jobs, tied to a business that last year generated $11.3 billion in domestic box-office receipts.
In part, that still-hefty number is thanks to a 49% jump in average ticket prices since 2002, making up for a 16% decline in ticket sales. And most of the recent growth worldwide has been overseas, which now generates about three-fourths of film-industry revenue. Growth is particularly stout in China,...
- 3/3/2017
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
What ex-Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton’s transition to Snapchat could mean for movies and new media.
Snap Inc., the technology and social media company whose products include Snapchat and Spectacles, is welcoming a Hollywood executive into its ranks. Last week, Michael Lynton announced that he would be stepping down from his position as CEO of Sony Entertainment, the film, television and music conglomerate, for a new post as board chairman for Snap Inc. Lynton is the last of the old Sony guard to depart since the infamous Sony hack which produced an email leak scandal that led to the ousting of former studio chief Amy Pascal. (Pascal is now a producer on Spider-Man: Homecoming and Barbie.)
Rumors abound regarding what will happen next at Sony Pictures, whose string of major flops including Passengers and Ghostbusters led to the studio’s 5th-place finish in 2016 studio market share, just a notch above Paramount Pictures. Lynton...
Snap Inc., the technology and social media company whose products include Snapchat and Spectacles, is welcoming a Hollywood executive into its ranks. Last week, Michael Lynton announced that he would be stepping down from his position as CEO of Sony Entertainment, the film, television and music conglomerate, for a new post as board chairman for Snap Inc. Lynton is the last of the old Sony guard to depart since the infamous Sony hack which produced an email leak scandal that led to the ousting of former studio chief Amy Pascal. (Pascal is now a producer on Spider-Man: Homecoming and Barbie.)
Rumors abound regarding what will happen next at Sony Pictures, whose string of major flops including Passengers and Ghostbusters led to the studio’s 5th-place finish in 2016 studio market share, just a notch above Paramount Pictures. Lynton...
- 1/18/2017
- by Paola Mardo
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Updated with final 2016 figures following Dec. 29 post: With the 2016 box office at $11.37 billion, the domestic theatrical marketplace is the largest we've ever seen it, with estimated admissions currently even with last year’s 1.32B. Yet despite this all-time high, distributors and exhibitors want change. After Sean Parker and Prem Akkaraju’s day-and-date Screening Room concept created ire among exhibitors and some filmmakers back in March, studios are now opening up to…...
- 1/4/2017
- Deadline
It’s the thing that nobody wants or it would’ve happened already.
Arguably the best part about going to the movies is the actual experience itself: the big screen, surround sound, comfy (or at least sort of) seats, the movie snacks, the trailers. There aren’t many movie fans who would sacrifice that experience to instead watch a current theatrical release at home. Yet for some reason, people keep trying to make it happen. Every now and then it pops back into the news circuit and then eventually disappears. You’d think that would be a big enough hint that maybe this isn’t what anyone wants.
Apparently not. Last week The Hollywood Reporter disclosed that studios are again (again!) in talks with companies like At&T and Comcast to bring theatrical releases to everyone’s televisions. There’s almost nothing new here — now they are toying with the idea of offering films approximately 17 days after...
Arguably the best part about going to the movies is the actual experience itself: the big screen, surround sound, comfy (or at least sort of) seats, the movie snacks, the trailers. There aren’t many movie fans who would sacrifice that experience to instead watch a current theatrical release at home. Yet for some reason, people keep trying to make it happen. Every now and then it pops back into the news circuit and then eventually disappears. You’d think that would be a big enough hint that maybe this isn’t what anyone wants.
Apparently not. Last week The Hollywood Reporter disclosed that studios are again (again!) in talks with companies like At&T and Comcast to bring theatrical releases to everyone’s televisions. There’s almost nothing new here — now they are toying with the idea of offering films approximately 17 days after...
- 12/19/2016
- by siân melton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple has been talking with several of the major studios in Hollywood about giving audiences earlier access to films on iTunes. Some of the studios that are thinking about teaming up with Apple for this include 21st Century Fox, Warner Brothers, and Universal Pictures.
According to the report, they are looking to offer "high-priced, home-video rentals of new movies shortly after they open in theaters." Some studio executives are actually "pushing to allow home rentals as early as two weeks after theatrical debuts."
I guess if you are patient enough to wait a couple weeks after a movie opens in theaters you can just wait to watch it at home. This is definitely a service that I would probably use, of course, there are still a lot of films that I still will have to watch on the big screen. Nothing will ever take away the moviegoing experience.
According to the report, they are looking to offer "high-priced, home-video rentals of new movies shortly after they open in theaters." Some studio executives are actually "pushing to allow home rentals as early as two weeks after theatrical debuts."
I guess if you are patient enough to wait a couple weeks after a movie opens in theaters you can just wait to watch it at home. This is definitely a service that I would probably use, of course, there are still a lot of films that I still will have to watch on the big screen. Nothing will ever take away the moviegoing experience.
- 12/8/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
As much as the movie theaters hate the idea, it is only a matter of time before the exclusive theatrical window for major releases shrinks from months to weeks. This past year, Napster founder Sean Parker made waves by announcing a service called The Screening Room which would offer major theatrical releases on demand at […]
The post Hollywood In Talks With Apple To Offer Early Access to Theatrical Movies appeared first on /Film.
The post Hollywood In Talks With Apple To Offer Early Access to Theatrical Movies appeared first on /Film.
- 12/8/2016
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Earlier this year, Hollywood drew lines in the sand when word emerged that Sean Parker was gearing up The Screening Room, a service that would work in conjunction with the major studios, to bring theatrical releases day-and-date to premium VOD for $50 a pop. Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, J.J. Abrams, and Ron Howard were all in favor of the plan, while folks like James Cameron and Christopher Nolan had grave reservations about the impact it would have on the magic of the theatrical experience.
Continue reading Studios Looking At Making Films Available At Home 2 Weeks After They Open In Cinemas at The Playlist.
Continue reading Studios Looking At Making Films Available At Home 2 Weeks After They Open In Cinemas at The Playlist.
- 12/5/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Image via Warner Bros.
We live in a world of constant landscape changes. Businesses that have stood rock solid for decades are facing monumental shifts, forcing big companies to rethink the way they do things. The entertainment business is no different, and in fact, one could argue that it’s one of the industries most affected. People are willing to pay for food, people are willing to pay for utilities, but when it comes to luxuries like entertainment, many are often willing to resort to other, less legal means to get their film fix. Additionally, technology has advanced so much, that many are able to have a legit theater experience at home, and with a lot of money getting lost between theater and home release, studios are now looking for other ways to capitalize.
So what’s the solution? While there are some companies like The Screening Room that hope...
We live in a world of constant landscape changes. Businesses that have stood rock solid for decades are facing monumental shifts, forcing big companies to rethink the way they do things. The entertainment business is no different, and in fact, one could argue that it’s one of the industries most affected. People are willing to pay for food, people are willing to pay for utilities, but when it comes to luxuries like entertainment, many are often willing to resort to other, less legal means to get their film fix. Additionally, technology has advanced so much, that many are able to have a legit theater experience at home, and with a lot of money getting lost between theater and home release, studios are now looking for other ways to capitalize.
So what’s the solution? While there are some companies like The Screening Room that hope...
- 12/1/2016
- by Joseph Medina
- LRMonline.com
It’s been nearly two years since “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” was released, and in that time Peter Jackson has been rumored to be attached to any number of projects. We now have confirmation of at least one: “Mortal Engines,” a series of young-adult sci-fi/fantasy novels written by Philip Reeves. Jackson and his wife/collaborator Fran Walsh have written the screenplay along with Philippa Boyens, who also worked with the husband/wife team on the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies.
Read More: Peter Jackson Will Direct ‘Tintin’ Sequel After ‘Secret’ Amblin Project
Jackson won’t direct the project, however — that duty is going to his protégé Christian Rivers, who’s set to make his directorial debut with “Mortal Engines.” “Peter, Fran, Philippa and Christian are all visionary storytellers with the gift of turning their passion projects into beloved blockbusters for a worldwide audience,...
Read More: Peter Jackson Will Direct ‘Tintin’ Sequel After ‘Secret’ Amblin Project
Jackson won’t direct the project, however — that duty is going to his protégé Christian Rivers, who’s set to make his directorial debut with “Mortal Engines.” “Peter, Fran, Philippa and Christian are all visionary storytellers with the gift of turning their passion projects into beloved blockbusters for a worldwide audience,...
- 10/24/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Dalian Wanda, the Chinese conglomerate, unveiled plans for an $8 billion “movie metropolis” in Qingdao at an extraordinary event in the heart of Hollywood on Monday night, surrounded by a who’s who of Hollywood luminaries. Wanda founder and CEO Wang Jianlin, possibly the most talked-about man in entertainment today, announced the latest steps in his plan for world domination, telling the crowd: “This is an opportunity for Hollywood. This is not a competition for Hollywood.” The crowd filing into the “U.S.-Sino Business Evening” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Bing Theater — which included the likes...
- 10/18/2016
- by Matt Pressberg
- The Wrap
A double-digit decline in DVD sales over the past six months presents a “significant” challenge to film industry revenues, Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said. Appearing at a keynote talk at TheGrill 2016, Lynton said that tanking returns on home entertainment has the industry warily looking at risky release models — like the Sean Parker concept the Screening Room, which created a firestorm earlier this year among the establishment. “We do have to figure out a way to make up for the hole in the boat that the decline in the DVD business has shown,” Lynton told TheWrap’s CEO Sharon Waxman in conversation at.
- 9/27/2016
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Indiewire's Weekly Reads compiles the week's essential news stories and critical pieces for you. 1. In An Era of Streaming, Cinema Is Under Attack. In the wake of digital overload, with multiple screens constantly vying for your attention, it's tempting to think that the movies as a communal, theatrical experience has gone the way of the dodo. The New York Times' chief film critics A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis discuss the state of moviegoing in this current era. Manohla Dargis: One of the big, possibly bad movie stories of the last few months has been nm8102797 autoSean Parker[/link] and nm3692189 autoPrem Akkaraju[/link]'s proposed new venture, Screening Room, which would bring first-run movies into living rooms for $50 a pop for 48 hours, though customers would also have to pony up $150 for the device to stream these titles. A lot of the news stories on Screening Room have focused on the industry: Theater...
- 5/6/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Indiewire's Weekly Reads compiles the week's essential news stories and critical pieces for you. 1. In An Era of Streaming, Cinema Is Under Attack. In the wake of digital overload, with multiple screens constantly vying for your attention, it's tempting to think that the movies as a communal, theatrical experience has gone the way of the dodo. The New York Times' chief film critics A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis discuss the state of moviegoing in this current era. Manohla Dargis: One of the big, possibly bad movie stories of the last few months has been nm8102797 autoSean Parker[/link] and nm3692189 autoPrem Akkaraju[/link]'s proposed new venture, Screening Room, which would bring first-run movies into living rooms for $50 a pop for 48 hours, though customers would also have to pony up $150 for the device to stream these titles. A lot of the news stories on Screening Room have focused on the industry: Theater...
- 5/6/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Going to the movies is one of my favorite things to do. The first movie I ever remember going to see in the theaters was Steven Spielberg’s E.T. I remember it being one of the greatest experiences ever. You can read all about it in my Growing Up Geek column. I loved the feeling of being in the theater; I loved the reaction of the crowd; I loved how the movie made me feel. The emotions I was feeling just completely overwhelmed me. All of these things hooked me into movies at a young age and I never let go. Going to the movies simply makes me happy, and I’ll never ever get tired of going to watch them. It's just a part of who I am.
I honestly can’t imagine a life without movies. There are so many different genres of films out there, and I enjoy them all!
I honestly can’t imagine a life without movies. There are so many different genres of films out there, and I enjoy them all!
- 5/3/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
CinemaCon: How The Screening Room Succeeded at CinemaCon (But Not How Sean Parker Hoped) Can Universal Top Its 2015 Records? Screen Talk: CinemaCon, Cannes and the Future of Movies James Cameron Slams Sean Parker, Announces Four 'Avatar' Sequels Warren Beatty Finishes His Howard Hughes Movie for the Fall Netflix We Ain't Scared of You: Warner Bros. and Sony Show Off Superhero Movies Disney Screens 27 Minutes of 'Finding Dory' And Other Reasons Its Rivals Are Jealous At CinemaCon Studios Look Out Theatrical Windows and Say It's Sunny Cannes: It's an Amazon World at Cannes, with Five Selection Titles Video Interview: Richard Linklater on How Megan Ellison Saved 'Everybody Wants Some!!' Box Office: 5 Reasons 'Embrace of the Serpent' Broke the Foreign Box Office Curse Awards: Confessions of an Emmys Virgin: The Education of an Oscars Pundit...
- 4/16/2016
- by TOH!
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Screening Room founder nm8102797 autoSean Parker[/link] wants to be the disruptor. He's offering a way for consumers to pay $50 to watch movies at home, day and date with theaters. And if it's ever going to happen, he needs to convince theater owners and studios to adopt his model. Judging by the first day of CinemaCon in Las Vegas, the old order is in no rush to embrace the whippersnapper's vision. Talking to theater owners here, they see little charm in Parker's offering. They argue that a title's value is enhanced down the line if no one else depletes that value at the start. The money doesn't look that good, since the Screening Room's $50 would be shared with theaters and studios. And anyway, would you trust the guy who founded Napster? Speaking at the exhibitor convention's annual reveals of the previous year's MPAA stats, Nato president John Fithian told...
- 4/12/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
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