Change isn’t just coming, it’s already here. VOD is no longer an experiment, but a viable release platform, with many distributors taking some of the risk out of rolling out smaller indie, arthouse, and foreign movies exclusively in theaters, by dropping them at the same time — and in a lot of cases, first — on digital services. But there are still those who feel the big screen is where movies should be seen, and Julianne Moore is one of them.
"We’re always so disappointed when you hear the words ‘day-and-date.’ I think, ‘Oh, really?’ We work very hard as creators in creating a theatrical experience. I’m married to a director [Bart Freundlich]… and a movie never looks the same on television," she told THR at CinemaCon. Even further, Moore sees the prevalence of VOD as emblematic of an industry as a whole that values commerce over artistry.
"Hollywood isn’t in the business of creating parts for actors. They’re in the business of creating product. It’s about making a package," she added.
On the latter point, there’s no debate, but it also could be argued that the wealth of VOD options, streaming services and more available to filmmakers at all levels these days means there’s plenty of material being created for actors and homes for it too. And maybe it’s just time to stop looking toward the major studios for something they’re clearly less invested in making.
