Now, while this bit of digital improv may very well save the butts of movie corporations right now, could it possibly change the way films are distributed once all of this blows over? Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse, seems to think so.In an interview with the Daily Wire (via Screenrant), Jason Blum gave a situational report on the damage-control being done and whether this will affect theatrical to home release windows in the future. Here’s what he said: Blum continued with his professional outlook, stating that theatres should not be left to rot even after the COVID-19 rampage decelerates.
Like every other studio, Blumhouse had to create some shifts in their theatrical releases for 2020, with The Invisible and The Hunt arriving early on digital and streaming in the past week. Leigh Whannell’s horror thriller, The Invisible Man, was only in cinemas for three weeks prior (two weeks for the Malaysian release) before it got bumped to the small screens. Blum’s comments do hold a certain weight. A tighter selection of movies means films with a lower budget and do not have the same “cinematic draw” as big-budget monster-on-monster kebabooms may just jump ship to streaming platforms where they have a better prospect of being viewed by audiences worldwide. Take Paramount’s romantic comedy Lovebirds, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, for instance. The feature was scheduled to release next month in theatres, and now it is headed directly to Netflix. That’s not to say that this has not been a trend in previous years, BUT it might become more of a norm after the pandemic recedes. As for the movies that DO make it to theatres, they should be able to continue generating enormous incomes for cinema chains. As Blum said, the theatrical experience is something that will still be sought after. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing flicks on a big-screen surrounded by the best woofers and the smell of fresh buttered popcorn. Not to forget, making the movies an outing with friends and family would still be deemed a special activity. The future is still a pencil sketch, but the graphs are clear. Whether or not the theatrical-home release window will be shortened is still up to studios to decide. Just what projects are deemed worthy of a theatrical release is at the mercy of these corporations. But yeah, I’m sure, we’ll continue to witness our Avengers, dinos, and mind-numbing Vin Diesel stunts on the big-screen for the foreseeable future!
