I agree WB could have played this differently and give their production companies a heads up and some compensation for the shift in whatever losses they would incur to make more profit happen.
But that's not the future. Sure the big studios will still make blockbusters, but most of their product with streaming will be lower budget films and series. As a service you need quantity. Also WB is one of the last studios that gives their creatives more control. It's no longer the norm. Look at the producer deals WB does compared to Disney. You are better off with brands than with creatives. Actors no longer get the profits TV actors got a decade ago. Movie actors are just next in line. It's already happening that's why you get so many actor/producers combos. Netflix pays peanuts outside a few big names. Royalties have shrunk and studios will only cut more people and do more with less. With one "nine digit production" you can get a slate of content to keep people paying for a whole year and not just one month to watch Dune.
WB just demonstrated that previously signed deals are worthless and can be discarded in an instant without notice. Why would creators put any faith in future deals with them?
Yeah, Warner is being super short-sighted here. Why would Nolan ever do a movie with them again? What big actors would sign on with them?
They could go to China. They welcomed Renny Harlin like he was some sort of action film god. I'm sure someone like Davis Yates could get a very good deal there. Sure there is some censorship but most blockbuster are anyway made to be China-friendly so there wouldn't be that much change.
Because their options are decreasing more and more with consolidation
You severely overestimate how many people are going to run back to the theater after covid. It's not going to be near the numbers it use to be and theaters and movie companies are going to have to adapt.
Nah, I disagree, I think industries like theaters, restaurants, etc. will bounce back relatively quickly. It's a just a matter if they can survive the winter.
Yeah, I totally get why directors are upset but at the same time how is WB supposed to make money right now
Disney communicated with creators before deciding how to handle their rollout of theatrical movies to streaming and paid them out accordingly before making those announcements, WB didn't.
Restaurants and the such yes but theaters na with streaming being more day and date they will need to adapt and if they don't than they won't survive. It sucks but I know for most movies I have very little interest in going to the theater anymore going forward and I was going multiple times a month before.
Yeah, that's not how that works. Piss off the unions and they get zero talent working on their stuff. Get scabs to work and then those scabs fuck up their future work chances.
Yes because talented writers/directors/actors/producers who can draw and audience grow on trees.
Hardly surprising it's the same mindset that defends crunch because I want my fucking game right now
How? Netflix and Amazon and Apple has shown that they can payout for $200+ million movie and TV streaming productions just the same as WB and Disney, Sony does with theatrical films...yes?
Also they didn't tell you they were going to do this before they did it.
I think those guys would rather invest the $100 millions in a series vs one-time blockbuster movies. I know currently there have been discussions around those guys buying some movies that have already been made (like the new Bond film), but I think going forward the incentive would be for smaller budget movies and larger budget "binge" shows.
That's your personal anecdote. You think that people won't go and see Black Panther 2, if it's only in theaters? There's a reason why Disney refuses to put Black Widow on Disney+
Mank had a $20-30 million budget. I am talking about $300 million budget movies and such. I think the incentive going forward would be to invest that kind of money in a series vs a one-time blockbuster movie.
Still too early to say? They might have a surprise for us tomorrow tho? 🤔
