Right now, the cycle in which films go from theaters to home video is a pretty healthy one, with about a three-to-four month gap between the two – sometimes longer, like with blockbuster films Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and Furious 7, which won’t debut until at least September.
However, a new pact could shorten that window significantly, if it goes into a full-on practice. The Hollywood Reporter recently posted a story that noted a pairing between Paramount Pictures and AMC Theaters to make two upcoming films available digitally just 17 days after their original theatrical run. That’s not to say we’ll be seeing Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation on our screens by August, though, as the deal only pertains to two smaller films from the studio.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension and Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse are the two films in question, and users will be able to check these films out at home just two weeks over when they conclude their theatrical run at the chains, according to the deal. Canadian chain Cineplex is also taking part as well, with a deal to show the films at its locations before they head home.
With this deal, a Hollywood studio would have less frustration with organizing a home release for a film. As stated above, the usual practice requires a three-to-four month wait before a film can be released on home video. Could this change things in the long run Only time will tell.
“Exhibition for the first time was open-minded about evolving our business instead of sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring what is happening around us,” said Paramount vice chair Rob Moore, speaking with the Reporter. “This is all about changing the definition of theatrical windows. Instead of starting the countdown from when a movie opens, we are starting from when it ends.”
Only the two movie chains are on board at the moment, and, again, this won’t apply to bigger releases, like Rogue Nation, which opens at the end of the month.
AMC CEO and president Gerry Lopez added, “Consumers know theatrical movies from their ‘gotta see it now’ exclusive releases in theaters, but every movie is different, and a one-size-fits-all business model has never made sense. This model aligns the interests of consumers, filmmakers and exhibitors to maximize the theatrical experience first and then enable legitimate digital access.”
Keep in mind, though, that some independent studios have already taken the video-on-demand route for most of their films. Samuel L. Jackson’s action/thriller Big Game, for instance, is making the rounds on channels like iTunes and other on-demand services, along with a limited theatrical release. It seems to be a fairly good business practice – at least, for smaller films.
