You could say that things are looking up, but when you do the pre-pandemic reality check it brings you back to earth.
On the plus side, we did get a jump up to 541 potential new theatrical releases hitting your local multiplex before the end of the year. While that’s the best showing so far this year, the number 541 is still well short of the pre-pandemic average of 753 new theatrical releases (2015-2019).
The hottest trend in theatrical releasing these days is for a film to get a “limited” release, quickly followed by a VOD or streaming rollout. Film after film is arriving in the marketplace following this pattern … and no box office results are posted.
It is not a new thing, it’s just that there are so many this year.
The only thing that comes to mind to justify this odd behavior is that the production/distribution agreement must require a theatrical release in the domestic market … it’s a contractual thing. Maybe.
Perhaps, it is about creating critical awareness? Who knows!
As a result of these “phantom” theatrical releases, the overall number of films arriving in movie theatres does get a boost and that is a good thing. But other than online (social media), there is little effort put behind each film’s respective debut. You spend all that time and effort producing a film and then toss it away.
And, unless you happened to be in the “selected” market — and were in the right place at the right time — the actual theatrical release remains a mystery to most in the country.
Here is just a sampling of the films that have followed this pattern since the first of the year.
The Next Thing That Happens Is The Destructive Thing
Streaming. VOD. Pick Your Poison!
Soon the lack of physical media, you know that stuff called DVD, Blu-ray … maybe even 4K Ultra HD, and consumer demand kicks in and the “helpers” and “void-fillers” step in.
So, let’s recap. You make a movie. Little effort goes into its theatrical launch and then it is streamed, where a pristine copy is snatched up and delivered to consumers as either DVD or Blu-ray product offerings by “helpers” and “void-fillers.” How is that a productive financial model?
The vast majority of consumers, looking for a particular
film (or series) might start by checking out Amazon, Deepdiscount or Movies Unlimited and when they don’t find what they are looking for at those venues,
the next stop is Google or DuckDuckGo for their desire. Maybe they check out Etsy or eBay … or they
have already found a favorite site and there it is. Slick packaging and exactly what they want. It must be legit.
This past week was a “helper” paradise with many of the aforementioned films (see list above) being released on DVD and/or Blu-ray.
Let’s start with director Annette Hawyood-Carter’s romcom, Daughter of the Bride, starring Marcia Gay Harden, Aidan Quinn and Halston Sage. Name stars, opening theatrically in five markets on Feb. 03, but no box office is reported by MarVista Entertainment.
It is streamed the same day and since February there have been no DVD or Blu-ray product offerings from MarVista Entertainment, which is now owned by Walt Studio Studios as part of the 20th Century-Fox buyout. That was until this past week when a “helper” offered it up a DVD.
If Disney won’t do it — not a chance when you consider the fact that Prey, Barbarian and the various Star Wars series (Mandalorian, etc.) haven’t see the light of day in the home entertainment packaged media arena — then someone else will.
Continuing with DVD, director Harry Wootliff’s True Things, starring Ruth Wilson (who also produced) and Tom Burke was released last September theatrically (the 9th to be exact), but no box office was reported by Samuel Goldwyn Films, who had acquired the domestic theatrical distribution rights.
The film had played the international film festival circuit before being released here, with Ruth Wilson winning Best Actress laurels at the Stockholm Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival nominating True Things Best Picture … quality cast, high profile, but no legitimate DVD or Blu-ray release. “Helper” fills the void.
Just getting started. Writer/director John Hay’s biopic, To Olivia, based on the lives of author Roald Dahl (played by Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville) and screen legend Patricia Neal (played by Keeley Hawes — Bodyguard, Mrs. Wilson, Line of Duty, etc.) was released theatrically by Vertical Entertainment on Apr. 15.
Surprise, no box office results have been reported.
Despite the cast and subject matter, Vertical Entertainment has yet to announce To Olivia for the DVD marketplace … since they haven’t seen fit to do so, a “helper” did just that this past week.
How about Blu-ray? Any activity there this past week? That question answers itself, yes.
Here we start with the mini-series adaptation of Laura Dave’s best-selling novel (months and months on the list), The Last Thing He Told Me. This seven-episode mini-series starring Jennifer Garner was streamed on Apple TV (getting smart, they didn’t release it all once — two episodes to start and then one a week … “helpers” had to bide their time).
Since this is an Apple TV production, there is virtually no chance that The Last Thing He Told Me will be made available to consumers as either DVD or Blu-ray product offerings. Remember director Sian Heder’s 2021 Best Picture-winner CODA, starring Emilia Jones and Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur (Best Supporting Actor)? It is now officially an industry joke that it is not available — legitimately — on either DVD or Blu-ray (that void has been filled by others).
Guess what, this past week The Last Thing He Told Me was released on Blu-ray by a “helper” source (they love Blu-ray for its ability to take a series of seven episodes and cram it onto one disc … love the bandwidth).
Speaking of series, Idris Elba starred in the popular BBC series titled Luther, earning four Emmy nominations during the series five-season run. Director Jamie Payne (The Alienist, Outland, Luther, etc.) re-teams with series creator Neil Cross for the feature film, Luther: The Fallen Sun.
Built-in audience, starring Idris Elba, it is released theatrically by Netflix on a limited basis on Feb. 24 of this year (no box office reported) and then streams. Knowing that it is Netflix, there is little chance that consumers can obtain a legitimate DVD or Blu-ray copy of the film to go with their “complete series” collection that BBC Entertainment released as a six-disc set on DVD back the summer of 2019.
That oversight was rectified this past week with the Blu-ray “helper” release of Luther: The Fallen Sun … consumers can now complete their collection. If they wait for Netflix, they will grow old and die waiting.
Producer/writer/director Jordan Gertner delivers Sheores, an R-rated action thriller starring Sasha Luss, Wallis Day, Isabelle Fuhrman and Skai Jackson, who end up in a life-and-death struggle in Thailand with a drug cartel. Sounds like the perfect summer film — hot chicks kicking ass (paraphrasing Gertner’s own words).
Paramount acquired the film in March, took it out on a “limited” basis on June 23 and did not report any box office results. Sheores is then streamed … the “helper” Blu-ray was released this past week. Paramount could still do a home entertainment package media release up the road, but the moment the studio fed Sheores to the streaming beast they set the piracy kraken loose.
And we finish up the week with the best one yet, director Alejandro Monteverde’s surprise box office smash, Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel.
The film, based on the war-on-sex-trafficking work of Tim Ballard, was completed in 2018 and ended up at 20th Century-Fox, but the moment Disney acquired Fox the film was shelved (Disney has a nasty habit of this — wait until the first week of August when quarterly results are posted to see the red ink of Iger’s lasted round of “monetizing” artistic works).
Producer Eduardo Verástegui, director Alejandro Monteverde, Jim Caviezel and others re-acquired the film and found Angel Studios to release it. Angel Studios used a unique way of crowdfunding to launch the film theatrical … it is a monster runaway hit driven by word of mouth.
Their first misstep might be in the works. An enterprising “helper” began taking pre-orders for a Blu-ray release on July 25. Is Angel Studios about to stream The Sound of Freedom before releasing DVD and Blu-ray editions? Stay tuned.
It was a very busy week for “helpers” taking full advantage of the broken streaming system that has plunged the entertainment business into absolute chaos with red ink flowing and two major strikes, which have essentially shut down film and series production.
There will be more of the same next week … you can bet on it!
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