Director Steven Spielberg hates the way streaming services – and HBO Max in particular – are treating filmmakers.
Speaking to the New York Times, Spielberg said moving theatrical releases to streamers in the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 may have changed the film industry forever.
“The pandemic created an opportunity for streaming platforms to raise their subscriptions to record-breaking levels and also throw some of my best filmmaker friends under the bus as their movies were unceremoniously not given theatrical releases,” Spielberg said. “They were paid-off and the films were suddenly relegated to, in this case, HBO Max. The case I’m talking about. And then everything started to change.”
He took particular aim at Warner Bros. and its HBO Max streaming service, which released its entire 2021 slate in theaters and on the streamer at the same time. But he lamented the loss of a special experience if theaters are permanently shuttered.
“I think older audiences were relieved that they didn’t have to step on sticky popcorn,” Spielberg said. “But I really believe those same older audiences, once they got into the theater, the magic of being in a social situation with a bunch of strangers is a tonic…it’s up to the movies to be good enough to get all the audiences to say that to each other when the lights come back up.”
Spielberg did point to signs that going to a theater still has some legs.
“I found it encouraging that ‘Elvis’ broke $100 million at the domestic box office,” Spielberg said. “A lot of older people went to see that film, and that gave me hope that people were starting to come back to the movies as the pandemic becomes an endemic. I think movies are going to come back. I really do.”
Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans will be in theaters for Thanksgiving.
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I wouldn't be surprised if Spielberg hasn't set foot in a typical cinema in decades.
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The death of cheap seats has made seeing movies unappealing tbh. I don't care for the primo experience but i could always find a fiver for a night out. Most movies aren't worth the current price of admission
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man just go to the matinee
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All the theatres here got rid of matinees
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You're full of shit, even my podunk theater has matinee
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Yesssss, yessss, Goyim! Buy the 15 dollar tickets! Splurge on the 10 dollar soda and 8 dollar popcorn! Upgrade and get the big one for another dollar! Those snacks will nourish you through Wakanda Forever!
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This would make sense if new thing was actually better than old thing. But somehow I doubt that streaming to your iPhone is a more superb viewing experience by any metric except convenience.
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iPhone is better 100% in case of horror films. I went with a friend to watch hereditary. She, the two women behind us everyone was just randomly shrieking throughout the film. Worst movie experience ever.
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Whats the point of watching horror movies without low frequency sub-bass at 200db ripping through your bones though
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Nothing beats the enjoyment of sitting in a nearly empty theater guzzling cheap booze and snacks you smuggled in and hooting at the exciting parts. It's a religious experience and would make Battlefield Earth seem good on the big screen.
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I can't believe a company let itself get bribed by its own customers to do what the customers wanted.
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Remember when you pimped out your adopted daughter?
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Thank you for writing this. Your actual content (drama and lolcows) being surrounded by paragraphs and paragraphs of worthless references to what random dudes said on reddit is the epitome of rdrama. The entire post could've been one or two sentences, but instead we got this beautiful example of why nobody likes dramatards.
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