The pandemic has been the big disturber to many businesses and industries, including the film industry. The long closure of cinemas and the backlog of unreleased films has led to studios looking for alternative methods of distribution. Warner Brothers planned to release most of the 2021 slate in cinemas and on HBO Max simultaneously, with films like Wonder Woman 1984, Tom & Jerry, and Godzilla vs. Kong. Disney is going to do something similar with Black Widow coming out in cinemas and on Disney+ Premier Access. This leads to the question is Multi-Platform releasing the future?
Multi-Platform releasing is nothing new as a concept. Back in 2011 Universal planned to release Tower Heist as a video-on-demand rental three weeks after its theatrical release. The proposed cost was an eye-watering $59.99 and the experiment was meant to take place in Atlanta and Portland. The proposal outraged cinema chains and independent cinemas and they threatened not to show Tower Heist at all, forcing Universal to back down.
In the UK Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England had a multi-platform released in 2013. It was released in cinemas, on DVD, Video on Demand, and was broadcast on Film4 on the day of its release. The move brought A Field in England a lot of attention from the press which was wise because it was a niche film from a cult director. In his review for BBC Radio Five Live Mark Kermode believed this was going to be the future of film releases.
Staying in the UK, before the pandemic Sky Cinema has released films in cinemas, on their channels, and streaming service. One of the films to be released this way was the Chinese animated film Rock Dog which was released in 2017. In the summer of 2020 when cinemas were reopening in the UK indie films were released in cinemas and on VOD.
Disney and AT&T are trying to make the best out of a bad situation. Lockdown rules vary from state to state which has led to cinema openings and social distancing roles to differ in each US state. New York, one of the biggest markets in the US has only just reopened. Whilst in Europe the UK has a roadmap to ease lockdown restrictions, but in the EU nations, Covid numbers are rising and many are set to go into a third lockdown.
AT&T’s ambition was clear, they wanted to release all their films on HBO Max so they could sell their new service. Although their plans were met with resistance from talent and partners like Legendary Pictures. Recently, Warner Brothers have argued a deal with Cineworld to release their films with a 45-day window before they go to streaming. Warner Brothers have still released Tom & Jerry and Godzilla vs. Kong in cinemas and on HBO Max at the same time in the states whilst in the UK, these films have received a PVOD release. Paramount also plans to release their films on Paramount+ 45 days after the theatrical release.
Disney’s strategy is different because they are making films available on Disney+ through Premium Access. However, this means you have to subscribe to Disney+ and then pay again for the film. The release of Mulan on Disney+ was met with hostility from both distributors and consumers. Disney had to appease fans by changing the release from a digital rental to a digital purchase to justify the cost but the film still underperformed. The release of Black Widow in cinemas on Disney+ Premium Access will be a real test for Disney.
Many companies have cross platform operations. Disney, AT&T, and Viacom are huge media companies: they own and are partnered with numerous studios and production companies, own many TV channels, have home release divisions, and now have streaming services. Amazon, one of the titans of the streaming market, has co-produced films with other production companies and released them in cinemas before releasing them on Amazon Prime. Amazon tends to release many of their films and TV shows on Physical Media as well as on Amazon Prime.
More companies have expanded into other methods of distribution. Netflix, the company most people think of when it comes to streaming have moved into the cinematic market. They brought the historic cinema The Paris Theatre in New York City and it was rumoured that they looked to buy the Egyptian in Los Angeles and Regal Cinemas, the second biggest cinema chain in the US. AMC Theatres, the largest cinema chain in the US have launched a Video on Demand service due to the pandemic and has promoted the service heavily online. Apple TV which started as a streaming service have also looked to releasing themes in cinemas. Their recent film, Cherry was released in cinemas in the USA before coming out on Apple TV+ and Apple have partnered with Paramount to make Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon which will be released in cinemas and the streaming service.
Even smaller companies have ventured into multimedia distribution. Mubi, a company that specialises in prestige films, operates as a cinema and physical media distributor and a streaming service. Arrow Films, a company that became popular for high-end Physical Media releases, has recently started its own streaming service to operate alongside the traditional business.
I will always be an advocate for the cinema experience and physical media, but it will be foolish to say streaming services and multimedia releases are just a fad. Multimedia releasing does have some major benefits. Multimedia and simultaneous releasing allows for smaller films to reach a wider audience, especially if they only have a limited release. Multimedia releasing offers consumers more choice, for example, young families may be prepared to stay at home instead of going to the cinema because it would be more economical. For people from small towns they can have the option to travel or stay at home. I’m at the whims of a major chain because they operate the cinema in my hometown and the nearest city, so they show the same films.
Multimedia releasing also has a benefit to counter piracy. The music industry discovered this when iTunes launched and again with the success of Spotify. Even the film industry was able to counter piracy before the over-saturation of streaming services. I believe multimedia should be expanded because many films and TV shows trapped behind exclusivity and most people are not going to have every streaming service. It makes more sense for Netflix and Disney to release their films on physical media and digital services so audiences have the option to watch the films and shows legally if they don’t want to subscribe to a streaming service. It would give the many different services a better chance to co-exist.
