Every year, theater owners from all over the world gather at CinemaCon to watch as movie studios show exclusive peeks at future films that will be gracing the big screen. It’s seen as a celebration of film and the theatrical experience. However, this year, the tone has been a bit more somber, as 2021 has not been the post-COVID rebound year that cinemas were hoping for. But the leader of the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) thinks the industry is at a “historic turning point” where decisions about theatrical exclusivity for new release films will forever change the industry, for better or worse.
Speaking at CinemaCon (via Variety), NATO leader John Fithian spoke to theater owners about the importance of releasing films exclusively in theaters before sending them to streaming. This is a hot-button issue due to studios such as Warner Bros. and Disney being at the forefront of releasing major blockbusters in theaters and on their own streaming platforms at the same time. This has led many to worry about the future of cinemas, as box office totals continue to struggle. And Fithian took the time to thank the filmmakers and actors who are speaking up against the rise of streaming.
“I applaud artists who refuse to accept the false narrative that movie theaters are a thing of the past and that the future will be one in which every movie is consumed at home,” Fithian said. “These leading creatives know better, and they are on the right side of history.”
Over the past few years, we’ve seen quite a few filmmakers speak out against the idea that streaming is the future of film consumption. Leading the pack are probably Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve. The latter filmmaker has been most vocal as of late due to his “Dune” getting released on HBO Max on the same day as in theaters, a move that he definitely doesn’t agree with.
READ MORE: Christopher Nolan Unlikely To Work With WB Again After HBO Max Announcement
Ultimately, the purpose of his presentation was to make sure distributors and theater owners understand just how important theatrical exclusivity windows are for the future of the entire film industry. Fithian doesn’t want anyone to believe that releasing films on streaming the same day as in theaters will end up helping everyone. In fact, he believes it doesn’t help anyone.
“What the future holds is up to our members and distributors to decide, but let us be clear about one thing: Simultaneous release does not work for anyone,” said Fithian. “A steady flow of strong movies released with exclusive windows is essential to exhibition’s recovery, and to the profitability of the entire movie ecosystem.”
He added, “This is a historic turning point for our industry. We are about to enter an era of great experimentation that I believe will only bolster the importance of the big screen experience. Cinema is much more than a passive form of entertainment. It’s immersive and life-changing. Cinema is not meant to exist on the same digital playing field as funny cat videos on YouTube, or endless TikTok scrolling.”
With “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” expected to move its release date until the beginning of 2022, there could be a new wave of films that shift their release dates, vacating the fall theatrical window. There could also be just as many that decide to adopt the hybrid release strategy and embrace streaming instead. So, it’s quite obvious why Fithian uses such strong language when talking about this issue. In his eyes, the future of filmgoing, as we know it, is at stake.