DEAL
6:40 AM PDT 07/23/2020
by
Georg Szalai
“There is no doubt that the longer (this pandemic) continues, there will be some content” best served with a different distribution arrangement, says John Stankey.
AT & T’s quarterly earnings conference call on Thursday morning also provided updates on the release strategy for the movie from telecommunications giant Warner Bros. movie studio, which will be of interest to Hollywood experts.
John Stankey, former CEO of AT & T’s entertainment unit WarnerMedia, who was recently promoted to the position of CEO of the parent company, was asked on the call about how the new coronavirus pandemic has been affecting the film business and distribution strategies.
He reiterated previous comments that traditional theatrical releases continue to play an “absolutely important role”, but the pandemic means that “some adjustment in theatrical construction was necessary.” He said “we absolutely believe” that the store’s content was “nicer and better to watch” in theaters, “however, I don’t know when the theaters will reopen.”
When asked if WarnerMedia’s new streaming service, HBO Max, would help the company with that, he said: “There is no doubt that the longer it continues, there will be some content” best served with a different distribution agreement. “I love the fact that we now have that option.”
So will some Warner movies migrate from film to streaming debuts? “Sure, I think that could happen,” said Stankey, but suggested that that would not apply to tents like Beginning or Wonder Woman 1984. “I would be very surprised if that were the case,” she said before adding that she could actually assure analysts that for Beginning “That will not be the case.”
Nolan has long championed traditional theatrical releases. Warner Bros. “will continue to work with theater owners” even though it brought the animated film directly to premium VOD rather than waiting for theaters to reopen after the coronavirus pandemic, John Stephens, chief financial officer of AT&T, also He recently said at an investor conference.
However, due to the pandemic, Warner decided to release the animated film Scooby-Doo. Scoob! in premium VOD and scrap your theatrical release. It was available for both rent and purchase on the house on May 15 for $ 19.99 and $ 24.99, respectively. In late June, it was available on the new WarnerMedia HBO Max streaming service.
Warner Bros.’ phased launch plan for Beginning, chaired by Christopher Nolan, was not mentioned in detail on the earnings conference call.
With the traditional worldwide date and time launch becoming impossible in the era of the new coronavirus, the idea of releasing new films in stages, even if that means just launching a title in markets that can be safely opened, whether in Abroad or in the United States, it has gained momentum in Hollywood.
Warner Bros. recently said it would ignore today’s distribution playbook to launch an epic espionage. Beginning staggered, but did not immediately provide details amidst a fluid situation.
Study experts said THR The film would be released overseas first as theaters have reopened in many European and Asian countries, and sources said the hope was to start opening the film on international markets in late August before bringing it to the US. USA in September, even if only in select cities
