All articles tagged with #theatrical windows
A portrait of Marilyn Monroe’s legacy through The Misfits as a flawed but luminous late-career performance, paired with industry notes on Obsession’s box-office surge and longer theatrical windows, the rise of liminal horror via the Backrooms, and actor George MacKay discussing Rose of Nevada and Mark Jenkin’s distinctive Super 16 filmmaking.
At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Cinema United president Michael O’Leary pledges to oppose Paramount-Skydance’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery and pushes for longer exclusive theatrical windows, advocating a minimum 45-day window (ideally 60+), arguing consolidation harms theaters, consumers and the industry. He notes 2025’s average window at 37 days and cites Disney’s longer windows as a benchmark while a broader industry letter opposing the mega-deal circulates; MPA chair Charles Rivkin discusses AI and protecting the ratings system as exhibitors seek stronger terms to sustain film production and exhibition.
At CinemaCon, Cinema United CEO Michael O’Leary warned that the Paramount-Warner Bros merger could concentrate market power among a few distributors, risking fewer films and weaker exhibition, as the industry pushes for longer theatrical windows (around 45–60 days) to sustain cinemas; regulators and notable filmmakers have voiced concerns about the deal.
Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman urged exhibitors at CinemaCon to enforce longer theatrical windows, scrap or shorten pre-show ads, and make going to the movies more affordable to help the industry rebound from lower post‑Covid attendance; he praised Universal’s 45‑day exclusive window as a positive start and highlighted Sony’s upcoming tentpoles as part of a broader strategy.
Universal Pictures will extend its exclusive theatrical window to five weekends immediately and to seven weekends starting in January,lengthening the time films stay in theaters and signaling a push to bolster ticket sales; Focus Features will continue with a three-week window. The move is part of Universal’s broader, evolving window strategy amid a shifting distribution landscape that includes streaming and premium VOD, with exhibitors like AMC praising the change as beneficial to the theatrical ecosystem.
Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble says exhibitors remain wary of Netflix’s theater pledges and want firmer, longer-term commitments on theatrical windows and ongoing investment, not just public comments; Netflix has talked about honoring a 45-day window for Warner Bros. releases, but industry players seek clear definitions and sustained marketing support as the streaming landscape evolves and WBD/Paramount dynamics unfold.
Cinema United told the Senate that Netflix’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. would be economically and culturally catastrophic, forecasting fewer theatres, shorter release windows, lower revenue and jobs, and fewer films for moviegoers. They criticized Netflix’s stance on a 45-day exclusive theatrical window (shorter than the typical 90–100 days) and warned consolidation could place a single studio in control of a large share of domestic box office (potentially up to 40% if Paramount joined WB). Cinema United represents about 61,000 screens worldwide (roughly 31,000 in the U.S. and 30,000 abroad).
David Ellison, Paramount’s CEO, published an open letter to UK creatives urging support for Paramount’s bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. He lays out commitments if the deal goes through: preserve HBO as an independent unit, boost annual output to about 30 high‑quality films across Paramount and Warner Bros. Studios, keep licensing content to third‑party platforms, ensure every film has a full theatrical release with a 45‑day window before paid VOD (60–90 days for top titles), and follow established home‑video windows. Ellison frames these terms as maintaining competition against Netflix and expanding creative output while protecting the film industry’s ecosystem.
During a Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee hearing on Netflix’s proposed Warner Bros. acquisition, Hollywood guilds (DGA, PGA, WGA) submitted statements warning that consolidation could harm workers and competition, and pressed for protections such as expanded domestic production, longer theatrical windows, and a meaningful share of independent productions. The DGA, PGA and WGA also offered a nine-question framework for regulators to probe audience impact, employment, licensing, and other safeguards as the deal moves forward.
Netflix's Ted Sarandos said that if the Warner Bros. Discovery deal goes through, Netflix will commit to 45-day theatrical release windows for WB's upcoming releases, insisting the company has no intention of hurting theaters and wants to support the traditional theatrical distribution engine, while acknowledging that theater density varies and previous comments about theaters being outmoded were taken out of context.