The world of movies and movie going is changing. The cinema doesn’t play the role in our culture that it once did. Fans are just as keen to stay home and watch Netflix or some other VOD service as they are making the trip to their local theatre.
Many have speculated that a day and date service is inevitable, as fans don’t want to wait in order to watch the biggest and latest movies in the comfort of their own homes.
And now it seems like some of Hollywood’s finest studios are contemplating the idea of meeting audiences somewhere in the middle.
According to Variety, six of the seven top Hollywood studios are pushing for the release of their moves at home only weeks after the theatrical opening.
Warner Bros. have started negotiations with exhibitors in order to get their films to debut on demand for $50 a rental only 17 days after premiering at cinemas.
Studios such as Fox and Universal however are a bit more sceptical, believing $50 a too steep a price for such a service.
They are instead pursuing the idea of getting the price lower in return for a later on-demand release date; such as $30 dollars for a release between 30 and 45 days after initially opening.
It’s all very interesting, and whether anything comes of it we will have to wait and see. But it does seem like something that will happen sooner rather than later.
What do you think? Would you pay $50 dollars to see the biggest releases 17 days after opening day? Let us know in the comments below…
Originally published March 23, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
