Some of you may have caught wind of the lawsuit filed against Disney by one Acadamy Award-nominated actress, Scarlett Johansson. She claims that Disney breached her contract with her latest movie, Black Widow, produced by Marvel Studios (owned by Disney). Ms. Johansson has played the character of Black Widow for Marvel since her debut as the titular character in Iron Man 2, released in 2010. Her upcoming lawsuit apparently states that Disney breached her contract with their decision to release the film Black Widow to both theaters and their online streaming platform, Disney+. Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige, the creator, and manager of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), had apparently advocated for Black Widow to remain a strictly theatrical release since most of the actor's revenue is based on box office returns and Mr. Feige is known for wanting to keep his talent happy. While the reasons for avoiding putting the film on Disney+ are not entirely clear to me yet, the most likely scenario is that Ms. Johansonn would receive less compensation than was promised.
An issue like this is nothing incredibly new, as Disney has always been a back-stabbing company that will not shy away from acts of unnecessary aggression to ensure maximum profits at all times. Look no further than their Mob-like actions towards Quentin Tarantino and his film The Hateful Eight for a perfect example.
However, while Disney's questionable business practices would be a full blog entry on its own, this recent lawsuit brought another issue to my attention; that of the recent reliance on streaming platforms in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic (especially with the Delta variant) and how that will affect cinema moving forward. Some hate it, some are experimenting with it, and others may be jumping head-first into it.
The primary issue at play here is the fate of movie theaters. While I will always be a proud advocate for the movie theater experience, I do not deny that present circumstances, including the ongoing pandemic, causes me to reevaluate at least parts of my stance.
HBO Max
Some of my wonderful readers may recall my previous blog entry examing the many benefits of having an HBO Max subscription. I would like to make it abundantly clear that my statements regarding this awesome streaming service were not endorsed nor sponsored by HBO, Warner Brothers, or any of their affiliates. They were made of my own volition and genuinely enjoyable experiences with the platform.
One of the benefits I previously mentioned was the release of all Warner Brothers' latest theatrical releases onto HBO Max for the entire year of 2021. This was in response to the ongoing and unprecedented events brought on by the pandemic. However, it was not without its negative reactions, nor was it unforeseen.
When earlier streaming services picked up in business, such as Netflix and Hulu, people were already discussing the change in release dynamics for new movies. The earliest experiment for this idea was back in 2011 with the underwhelming comedy Tower Heist. Before the film's release, Universal Studios announced that they would make the film available on-demand for select Cable TV customers (for the hefty price of $60) along with its traditional theatrical release. At the time, this kind of releasing practice was suspected, but no one wanted to jump onto the bandwagon just yet. After theater owners threatened to boycott the film, Universal changed their minds and moved forward with their traditional theatrical release.
Ten years later, Cable TV has been all but eradicated, and streaming services are taking over as the new primary source of home entertainment. What's more, at least one of them releases brand new movies from a major studio regularly, and at no extra cost, albeit only for one year (probably).
While many see this business choice as bold and reasonable given the circumstances, some don't feel the same way.
Christopher Nolan
Director of such memorable hits as Batman Begins, Inception, and Dunkirk, to name a few, Mr. Nolan has enjoyed working with Warner Brothers for the better part of a decade. That is until their recent deal with HBO Max. You see, Christopher Nolan is a heavy advocate for the theatrical experience, hence why he enjoys using large film formats such as IMAX for his movies. In his opinion, streaming platforms are a disservice to new movies, or movies in general, because he believes in the theatrical experience.
While I agree with Mr. Nolan on a fundamental level, I can't help but feel that his grievances with Warner Brothers are misplaced in this particular case. The sad fact is, while going to the movies is an important and often satisfactory event, we simply are not capable of doing so safely, even with regular vaccinations and cleanliness protocols. With everyone still having to restrict their regular attendance of large-group activities, including movie theaters, It's unreasonable to take offense with Warner Brothers for wanting to ensure some semblance of regular business.
Especially when you consider Mr. Nolan's latest efforts with another streaming service.
Netflix
According to an article on ign.com, the owner of Netflix wants to distribute Mr. Nolan's next feature film and possibly most if not all of his future movies. Rather or not Mr. Nolan intends to go through with this offer remains to be seen. Regardless, despite his misgivings with streaming platforms, it only seems logical that he should consider it. Especially when they were the ones who gave legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese the freedom to make his 2019 Oscar-nominated film, The Irishman.
This is even more surprising when you consider another legendary name in cinema that seems to be simultaneously in favor of and opposed to Netflix, along with streaming platforms in general.
Steven Spielberg
That's right, the man who created legendary smash hits such as E.T., Jurassic Park, and Catch Me If You Can, the same man who proclaimed that movies released via streaming platforms and not theaters should "not be elegible for the Oscars," has signed onto a partnership between Netflix and his production company, Amblin Entertainment, to release "multiple new feature films per year." Let me remind you that Netflix has, as of late, a few Oscars for some of their original films. Including Best Costume Design for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Best Cinematography for Mank. Not to mention their 2018 Best Picture nominee, Roma.
Let us also not forget that Spielberg's upcoming outing (his remake of West Side Story) will most likely release on Disney+ with premium access, rather Spielberg wants it or not.
While these are but mere circumstances of the troubling times that many of us hope will fade away soon, the sad fact is that, amongst the many truths revealed by the pandemic, the harshest truth (as it pertains to the cinema) is something we have all been dreading to admit, but must be acknowledged.
The Movie Theater Experience is Dying
I have always been a practicalist, along with being an optimist. So when I proclaim the experience of going to the movies is dying, I do not mean to imply that there is no longer any merit in going to the movies, nor do I mean to imply that such an event could never enjoy a revitalization someday. I am saying that no one is doing enough of anything (both in Hollywood and in the movie theater industry) to preserve or revive the movie theater experience.
While some attempts have been made to transform the movie theater experience, including the integration of restaurant-style food service within the auditorium at some theater locations, it is, unfortunately, still not enough to reinvigorate the movie theater experience with the sense of grandeur it once possessed.
With the demand for new content to distract us from these troubling times, and the necessity of enjoying said content without fear of contracting COVID-19, modern cinema will have no choice but to face the real possibility that the time of the movie theater has peaked. While I hope that I will be proven wrong and the movie theater industry will find a way to retain its relevance, I must face the facts and accept the real possibility that the days of enjoying cinema with complete strangers in the dark while eating stale popcorn with too much butter are likely slowly coming to an end.
Take Heart
But hark! Be not so sullied as to feel down and out! Be it in the grand halls of the auditorium or within the comfort of your convertible couch, cinema will find a way to make us dream and wonder again, as it has always done from the beginning! For the cinema shall, in some merry way, rise again from the ashes of the dreaded pandemic and rock the world to its very core! How it may achieve this grand feat, I cannot say. But I do hold fast to my faith in the arts and in the goodness of humanity to find a way to keep the cinema alive. And I, for one, cannot wait to see what new and strange forms it will take to do so.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
Thank you Norman, you remind that cinema is ever changing, remember "Drive In Movies", still out there, somewhere? Something special about the shared theatrical experience that can't be reproduced. Always will be a place for the theater.
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