The actress gets paid a percentage of the Box Office take….
She gets less from streaming the movie on Disney+….
She’s getting ripped off…
(Movie theatre owners, filmmakers and others aren’t happy either)
She’s going to court….
Disney get’s stung….
After its release was delayed more than a year because of COVID-19, “Black Widow” debuted to a pandemic-best of $80 million in North America and $78 million from international theaters three weeks ago, but theatrical grosses declined sharply after that. In its second weekend in release, the National Association of Theater Owners issued a rare statement criticizing the strategy asserting that simultaneous release lends itself only to lost profits and higher quality piracy.
Once taboo, hybrid theatrical and streaming releases have become more normal for many of the biggest studios during the pandemic, with each adopting its own unique strategy. This weekend, Disney is employing the same strategy with “Jungle Cruise,” and next weekend Warner Bros. big budget “The Suicide Squad” opens both in theaters and on HBO Max.
The revised hybrid release strategies over the 16 months have occasionally led to public spats from not just theater owners, but stars, filmmakers and financiers who are unhappy with the potential lost revenues and the alleged unilateral decision-making involved.
The WSJ said Warner Media, for instance, paid over $200 million in “amended agreements” with talent over its decision to release its entire 2021 slate simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max….
image…The Mary Sue