All year long, studios have been grappling with the (supposed) impact of Rotten Tomatoes scores on their bottom line, without actually investigating whether or not their movies are any good. This has led to studios being playful with when they choose to lift review embargoes, often waiting until as close to the release date of a movie as possible (which is never a sign of confidence, Rotten Tomatoes or not). Tonight, Warner Bros. will raise the curtain on reviews for “Justice League” (11:50 PST/2:50 AM EST) — but don’t rush to see those scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
The review aggregator will be holding the reveal of the Tomatometer score for “Justice League” until 12:01 AM on Thursday — nearly a full day after critics weigh in. Is this part of a vast conspiracy by Warner Bros., who have a minority stake in Rotten Tomatoes? Take off the tin foil hat because the reason is far less insidious than you might think. Rotten Tomatoes is simply holding the score so they can get eyeballs on their recently launched “Rotten Tomatoes See It/Skip It” show on Facebook, where the “Justice League” score will be unveiled. It’s nothing more than a simple ploy to gain an audience for their new venture:
While studios wring their hands over Rotten Tomatoes, it’s arguable that anyone interested in seeing “Justice League” has already bought their opening weekend tickets. The reviews and Tomatometer score will probably wind up having a greater effect on how well “Justice League” holds up in the weeks ahead; a low score and poor notices may mean a huge audience drop off between opening weekend and week two.
It should be noted, Rotten Tomatoes has previously held scores for their “Rotten Tomatoes See It/Skip It” show, doing the same for “A Bad Moms Christmas” and “Star Trek: Discovery,” and it’s probably safe to say it’s a practice they’ll continue. And maybe its for the best since the obsession with Rotten Tomatoes scores and fretting over a film’s worthiness based on a algorithm has perhaps had its day. [Screen Rant]