Coming Soon: The $30 Pay-Per-View Movie

[pixelthis]

ESPECIALLY since its not that good a movie anyway.
Most wouldn't pay that for AVATAR. And theater owners can raise a barn if they want to,
their industry is done for long term.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

There is a email circulating around Hollywood right now from 26 very influential Directors coming out against this shortened window release format. Personally, I think the studios will blink on this one, as I feel this letter will be the first of many from different camps within Hollywood.

[bobsticks]

There is a email circulating around Hollywood right now from 26 very influential Directors coming out against this shortened window release format. Personally, I think the studios will blink on this one, as I feel this letter will be the first of many from different camps within Hollywood.

Whattup T.,

What do the directors cite as their reasoning for taking this position? Just curious.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Whattup T.,

What do the directors cite as their reasoning for taking this position? Just curious.

Quite a few of them are producers as well as Directors. They fear that the shortened window will hurt their production companies bottom line based on how exhibition and home video release contracts are currently constructed. If a movie is doing well in the theater, the shortened window will dig into both the theater owners, and the producer and distributer revenue. They also fear piracy will be a problem, and Disney agrees with this - hence their lack of support.

[Woochifer]

There is a email circulating around Hollywood right now from 26 very influential Directors coming out against this shortened window release format. Personally, I think the studios will blink on this one, as I feel this letter will be the first of many from different camps within Hollywood.

Regardless of the politics, I think this idea will die out simply because I don't see a big market for $30 PPV, no matter what the release window is. It's almost like someone wanted to purposely float this idea as a trial balloon for the expressed purpose of killing it. The whole ruckus in the entertainment media about it is just a tempest in a teapot. Myopia's running rampant with the studios who see it as a cash cow, and theater owners who see it as the apocalypse. I think consumers will clearly see it for the supreme ripoff that it is.

Quite a few of them are producers as well as Directors. They fear that the shortened window will hurt their production companies bottom line based on how exhibition and home video release contracts are currently constructed. If a movie is doing well in the theater, the shortened window will dig into both the theater owners, and the producer and distributer revenue. They also fear piracy will be a problem, and Disney agrees with this - hence their lack of support.

And some theater owners have already responded by dropping these "Home Premiere" titles from all of their screens when they come out on PPV, even though that particular movie might still be doing well at the box office. I doubt that the PPV revenues will even come close to the box office take. That will be the deciding factor.