When the average film fan thinks about powerhouse studios, the big names like Disney, Paramount, Universal, Sony, and Warner Bros. all come to mind. However, there are other, smaller studios that still have quite a bit of impact on the industry, including A24 and Fox Searchlight. And in the case of the latter, it appears that, even with the recent purchase by Disney, Fox Searchlight is going to keep being the awards season powerhouse moving forward.
Speaking to THR, Disney executive Alan Horn was asked about the future of Fox Searchlight. And though many cinephiles were concerned that Disney would change a lot of how the smaller studio does business, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
“We still have Fox Searchlight…” said Horn. “They have won four out of the last 10 [best picture] Academy Awards. And we are backing them 100 percent because they make terrific movies with very renowned filmmakers with great casts.”
When asked if the Disney-owned studio will still get traditional theatrical releases for its films, or be shuffled off on one of the company’s streaming services, the Disney exec promised that Fox Searchlight will stick with the theatrical release strategy.
“Oh, I think they will, yeah,” confirmed Horn.
This is probably a huge relief for film fans that were curious how much of Fox Searchlight’s future would be in jeopardy considering the recent Disney purchase. After seeing how the Mouse House has effectively crippled the main Fox brand by limiting the number of films and canceling a bunch that were in development, it’s good to know that Disney is treating Fox Searchlight with a bit of reverence.
But as with anything, things change. And to illustrate that point, earlier in the interview, Horn was asked if he saw the future of ‘Avengers’ films going straight to streaming, and he wouldn’t commit to saying no.
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“Right now, no. I can’t predict five or 10 years from now,” said the executive.
So, if the future of the MCU on the big screen could change in five years, then you better believe that Fox Searchlight could as well.
This year, Fox Searchlight has already released films like “The Aftermath,” “Tolkien,” “Ready or Not,” “Lucy in the Sky,” and “Jojo Rabbit.” The next film on the schedule could be its most anticipated with Terrence Malick returning to the big screen with “A Hidden Life” on December 13.