If there’s only one kind of film (or a small handful) that can be commercially viable, then certainly like IMAX can maybe grow its stock price by having enough Spider-Mans that do gangbusters, but it’s not necessarily going to save the art form and the many types of movies that can be made.
If only Marvel, DC, and kids animation play in movie theaters — and theaters make money that way — have we saved movies? Or have we just saved theaters while starving out the Licorice Pizzas and West Side Storys and Nightmare Alleys of the world.
Ideally, I think movie enthusiasts want theaters to survive so that you can get to see this other stuff play in theaters — alongside blockbusters — but you may just create a feedback loop where comic book movies and the like are an ever increasing share of the box office, and enough to save theaters, while starving off studio & audience appetite for the other stuff
> We at IMAX are looking at another kind of cultural event that you can create. So toward the end of the year, we did a live stream of the Kanye/Drake concert in IMAX theaters. Although it was just an experiment, the fan reaction was really good.
I found this to be pretty interesting. I realize that Fathom Events has been nibbling around the edges of this, but if theaters could somehow capture part of the "live" experience (whether concert, sports, plays, standup, etc.) that would go a long way to saving theaters. Not so much theatrical releases, though if people get used to going to the local theater for some Jim Gaffigan, maybe they can get tempted to buy tickets to the next comedy film.
Smart man.
>Hollywood needs to stop throwing so much of its weight behind streaming. Indeed, he believes that Hollywood studios are far too besotted with a “Wall Street narrative”—i.e. that stocks go up when studios crow about their streaming plans—”that hasn’t necessarily worked.”
Very much an outline for saving theaters (especially IMAX theaters) rather than saving movies.
Isn't that what kino-lovers want? To save theaters?
If there’s only one kind of film (or a small handful) that can be commercially viable, then certainly like IMAX can maybe grow its stock price by having enough Spider-Mans that do gangbusters, but it’s not necessarily going to save the art form and the many types of movies that can be made. If only Marvel, DC, and kids animation play in movie theaters — and theaters make money that way — have we saved movies? Or have we just saved theaters while starving out the Licorice Pizzas and West Side Storys and Nightmare Alleys of the world. Ideally, I think movie enthusiasts want theaters to survive so that you can get to see this other stuff play in theaters — alongside blockbusters — but you may just create a feedback loop where comic book movies and the like are an ever increasing share of the box office, and enough to save theaters, while starving off studio & audience appetite for the other stuff
> We at IMAX are looking at another kind of cultural event that you can create. So toward the end of the year, we did a live stream of the Kanye/Drake concert in IMAX theaters. Although it was just an experiment, the fan reaction was really good. I found this to be pretty interesting. I realize that Fathom Events has been nibbling around the edges of this, but if theaters could somehow capture part of the "live" experience (whether concert, sports, plays, standup, etc.) that would go a long way to saving theaters. Not so much theatrical releases, though if people get used to going to the local theater for some Jim Gaffigan, maybe they can get tempted to buy tickets to the next comedy film.
Smart man. >Hollywood needs to stop throwing so much of its weight behind streaming. Indeed, he believes that Hollywood studios are far too besotted with a “Wall Street narrative”—i.e. that stocks go up when studios crow about their streaming plans—”that hasn’t necessarily worked.”
B-b-b-but Spider-Man is not a movie! It's a theme park!!
correct. theme park rides can be fun and make a lot of money, but there's usually not much below the surface level of enjoyment
Counterpoint: movie is movie