Film-Tech Cinema Systems
Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE


  
my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film-Yak   » Scorsese gets in bed with Netflix, then complains the blanket is too thick, basically

   
Author Topic: Scorsese gets in bed with Netflix, then complains the blanket is too thick, basically
Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 08-21-2019 05:48 PM      Profile for Mike Blakesley   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Blakesley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Scorsese’s New Mob Epic, ‘The Irishman,’ Has Netflix and Theaters at Odds

LOS ANGELES — When Martin Scorsese signed with Netflix to make “The Irishman,” the star-studded epic scheduled to have its premiere on the opening night of the New York Film Festival next month, he put himself in the crossfire of the so-called streaming wars.

The film, which may represent Mr. Scorsese’s grandest statement yet on the intersection of organized crime and American politics, is expected to be a strong contender in the 2020 Oscar race. He took his $159 million movie, with Robert De Niro in the lead role, to Netflix after his home studio of recent years, Paramount Pictures, balked at the budget.

The full extent of the theatrical rollout remains up in the air. Where, exactly, moviegoers will be able to see “The Irishman” won’t be clear until the discussions between Netflix and select major theater chains end. They have been dragging on for months. The negotiations are just the latest chapter in the conflict between the film industry’s old guard and the tech-driven upstarts.

“The Irishman,” a throwback to the 1990s Scorsese hits “Goodfellas” and “Casino,” was announced more than a decade ago at Paramount, the studio where he made “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Silence.”

Mr. Scorsese struck the deal with Netflix in 2017, and filming started soon afterward. The film, which makes use of “de-aging” special effects to keep the actors looking the right ages in a saga that spans decades, is in the final stages of postproduction as the director works to get it done in time for its Sept. 27 festival premiere.

In his ninth collaboration with Mr. Scorsese, Mr. De Niro plays the title character, Frank Sheeran, a hit man known as the Irishman who claimed he killed the Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa, whose body has never been found, in 1975. He is joined in the cast by the “Goodfellas” and “Casino” alumnus Joe Pesci, who came out of retirement to play the mob boss Russell Bufalino. Al Pacino — appearing for the first time in a film directed by Mr. Scorsese — portrays Hoffa.

Scott Stuber, the head of Netflix’s film division, is leading talks for the streaming company with at least two large chains, AMC Theatres, which operates 11,000 screens worldwide, and Cineplex, the largest exhibitor in Canada, with over 1,600 screens, according to two people familiar with negotiations. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer and Mr. Stuber’s boss, has also taken part in the talks. The director has been pushing for a robust national theatrical release, two people with knowledge of Mr. Scorsese’s thinking said.

Adam Aron, the AMC chief executive, said in a statement, “Talks are underway with Netflix about our showing ‘The Irishman’ and other Netflix films, but the outcome of those conversations is not yet clear.”

AMC and Cineplex are negotiating with Netflix separately, the people familiar with the talks said. A crucial sticking point has been the major chains’ insistence that the films they book must play in their theaters for close to three months while not being made available for streaming at the same time, which does not sit well with Netflix. Talks broke down in July, only to pick up again two weeks ago, the people said.

Netflix, Mr. Scorsese and Cineplex declined to comment for this article.

Because of the impasse over the three-month theatrical window, Netflix has yet to give any of its films the kind of blockbuster theatrical releases that companies like AMC can provide. The streaming giant’s reluctance to concern itself with weekend box-office numbers reflects its laser focus on its main mission: delivering streaming video on demand to its 151 million subscribers worldwide.

Having built itself into an entertainment powerhouse by keeping its subscribers interested and coming back for more, the company does not want to be distracted by the demands of the old-style movie business, even as it makes deals with legendary filmmakers like Mr. Scorsese.

“Netflix is in the subscriber happiness business,” said Richard Greenfield, a tech and media analyst. “They need to attract more members and make current members happier. ‘The Irishman’ is really important.”

Many Netflix movies, like the Adam Sandler vehicle “Murder Mystery,” which Netflix said had 78 million household views in its first four weeks, seem made for living-room viewing. But Netflix has also come out with more ambitious offerings, like “Roma,” the meditative black-and-white film from the director Alfonso Cuarón. “Roma” won praise from critics on its way to three Oscars this year, for best director, best cinematography and best foreign language film.

As Netflix’s movie division has matured, the company has softened its stance on theatrical distribution. Last year, it struck deals with independent movie houses and small theatrical chains like Landmark and Alamo Drafthouse, which have looser requirements than the big exhibitors on exclusive showings, for one-week runs of the Sandra Bullock thriller “Bird Box” and the Coen brothers’ Western “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” before they were made available for streaming.

For “Roma,” Netflix went further, giving it a 21-day theatrical release at the independent and small-chain theaters before its subscribers could watch it on devices or TV screens. Netflix has said there will be some kind of theatrical release for “The Irishman,” but has so far resisted going much beyond the 21 days it granted “Roma,” the people familiar with the talks said.

When he agreed to make the film for Netflix, Mr. Scorsese was aware that a wide release was not guaranteed, but he chose the company because it was “actually making our movies, from a place of respect and love for cinema,” he said in an email to The Times last year.

The trailer for “The Irishman,” released last month, has racked up millions of YouTube views, suggesting that it has greater commercial potential than “Roma.” The potential box-office revenue could be a boon for a company that has bet big on a single revenue stream, despite calls from Wall Street to diversify. Netflix stock fell by 12 percent last month after it reported its first decline in domestic subscribers since 2011.

“While direct release of smaller budget films on Netflix makes economic sense, we believe franchise-oriented films will need to include theatrical release on a large scale to optimize returns,” said the financial services company Barclays in a January report.

The coming Scorsese film also has a shot at the prize that eluded “Roma” despite Netflix’s costly awards campaign on its behalf: the Academy Award for best picture.

Oscar eligibility is not much of a factor in how Netflix handles the rollout. To qualify for the Academy Awards, a film must have a 7-day run in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County, according to rules recently confirmed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ board of governors; it can even be shown on another platform at the same time. Still, there is an Academy contingent that may look askance at Netflix if it does not play by the old rules for a cinematic feature like “The Irishman.”

Despite its craving for Oscar gold, Netflix does not want to be distracted from its core business — especially now that it will be challenged by the Walt Disney Company, which plans to unveil its Disney Plus streaming service Nov. 12, and Apple, which is starting its equivalent, Apple TV Plus, on an unspecified date this fall. Following those giants into the increasingly crowded digital-video marketplace will be WarnerMedia and Comcast, among others.

In an effort to stay ahead of its current and future rivals, Netflix spent $12 billion on original content in 2018. While the company has paid large sums to star television producers like Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes and the “Game of Thrones” duo David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, it has not stinted on its movie division, which made 55 films last year, not counting documentaries and animated movies, and has brought aboard A-list directors like Noah Baumbach, Ron Howard, Dee Rees, Steven Soderbergh and Guillermo del Toro.

Even as it works to add subscribers, Netflix cannot afford to alienate top filmmakers. Mr. Stuber is mindful that the way to keep the talent happy is to get their work on the big screen. He recently bolstered the Netflix film arm by hiring two distribution executives from 21st Century Fox, Spencer Klein and Pablo Rico.

AMC and other large chains worry that if they grant Netflix a shorter theatrical window, they will have to do the same for other studios. In his statement, Mr. Aron added that he would be “delighted” to show Netflix movies, but he had a caveat: “We can only do so, however, on terms that respect AMC’s important and close relationships with our longstanding studio partners, including Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony, Paramount, Lionsgate and so many other filmmakers who are the lifeblood of our substantial business.”

Some Hollywood executives have said the theater chains must adapt if the cinematic experience is going to compete with the convenience of streaming. “Both the studios and the exhibitors have to look at every aspect of how we do business together and figure out different paradigms to move it forward,” said Chris Aronson, the former chief distribution executive at Twentieth Century Fox.

More than 95 percent of movies stop earning their keep in theaters at the 42-day mark, well short of the three-month window demanded by major chains, according to Mr. Aronson. That suggests the need for change, he said.

“The movie theaters feel that if they blink at all, it will all blow up,” said Jeff Blake, the former chairman of worldwide marketing and distribution for Sony Pictures.

Netflix’s unwillingness to promise wide releases has come with a cost. The company lost out on the rights to “Crazy Rich Asians,” the 2018 romantic comedy that grossed nearly $240 million at worldwide box offices. The director, Jon M. Chu, and the author of the novel it was based on, Kevin Kwan, decided to go with Warner Bros., saying they wanted the movie to play in as many theaters as possible.

Netflix’s stance has also put it at odds with the theatrical chain Regal, which said in a statement to The Times: “Currently, we are not in any discussion with Netflix on ‘The Irishman’ nor on any other movie. Of course, if Netflix will decide to respect the industry business model and release the movie with a proper theatrical window, we will be more than happy to discuss the booking of the movie in Regal theaters.”

Mr. Scorsese directed another film for Netflix, “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese,” a playful documentary released simultaneously in select theaters and on the streaming service in June, but he plans to make his next film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, at Paramount.

New York Times article (while it's free, at least)

 |  IP: Logged

Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002


 - posted 08-21-2019 10:14 PM      Profile for Claude S. Ayakawa   Author's Homepage   Email Claude S. Ayakawa   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
ROMA was a Netflix movie and I never saw the movie in a theatre and although I have Netflix membership, it is for DVD and Blu Ray only and not streaming. ROMA was released on Netflix and theatres almost a year ago but so far the movie was not released in physical media on discs and wonder if it ever will be released in that format. Will it be the same with the new Martin Scorsese movie ?

 |  IP: Logged

Terry Monohan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 379
From: San Francisco CA USA
Registered: May 2014


 - posted 08-21-2019 11:01 PM      Profile for Terry Monohan   Email Terry Monohan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Let's see if Mr Scorese shows up next week at Telluride with a 35mm or 70mm film print of his new Netflix 'Irishman' movie.

Like the Netflix movie 'Roma' rumor is going around a few 70mm prints will be coming out on The Irishman?

Claude to bad you never saw the 70mm film print of 'Roma' in a movie theatre.

 |  IP: Logged

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012


 - posted 08-22-2019 01:48 AM      Profile for Marcel Birgelen   Email Marcel Birgelen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Maybe this is more of a telltale sign of what has become of Hollywood in 2019, than an indication of what to expect from Netflix.

We know Netflix is a streaming company and they're going to play hardball with every release... even though they could make a ton of extra money with an extended theatrical release and more exclusive release window.

But what it tells about Hollywood is that it's really dying in its current form. I mean, if a studio passes on the opportunity to produce the latest Scorsese flick, while the budget isn't really any higher than the other standard templated franchise drivel they otherwise produce, then Good Luck with Terminator 28, Mission: Impossible 42, Top Gun 7, GI Joe 25 and Beverly Hills Cop 15... You truly deserve what's coming to you...

 |  IP: Logged

Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000


 - posted 08-22-2019 08:51 AM      Profile for Leo Enticknap   Author's Homepage   Email Leo Enticknap   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Another complicating factor, at least for any Oscar ambitions that Scorsese and/or Netflix may have, is that the plan for Netflix to buy the Egyptian Theatre appears to have run into difficulties.

Those who have been following this will be aware of the widespread belief that Netflix's primary motivation to do this would be to own a venue in which they could "four wall" their flagship movies for Oscar eligibility. The original intention was for the property to change hands on August 1, as a result of which there was initially no American Cinematheque programming done after the end of July. However, in the final week of July, events started to appear on their online calendar for August, suggesting that the sale has been significantly delayed, or even possibly that the deal has fallen through altogether.

 |  IP: Logged

Terry Monohan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 379
From: San Francisco CA USA
Registered: May 2014


 - posted 08-23-2019 09:24 AM      Profile for Terry Monohan   Email Terry Monohan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Leo*** I think If Netflix is having trouble with the takeover of the Hollywood Egyptian Theatre they need to buy from the Forman brothers at Pacific Theatres the long closed old 'Warner Cinerama Theatre' also on Hollywood Blvd down the street.

A way bigger cinema with plenty of lobby space for events and a huge balcony once they clean the place up and de twin the upper loge area.

I was on a private tour of the 'Warner' last year and It is still in great shape. Once they trim the overgrown trees, the neon marquee will come alive and fix the earthquake ceiling damage in the balcony area this old classic cinema will be a movie showcase for Hollywood.

I have along with many of my Hollywood movie friends never liked how they remodeled the old UA Egyptian Theatre. At least they have kept it open. Small type screen, no showmanship curtains, no color lights inside or on the ceiling detail. They put in a small lobby in the place were the mid/back seating was at one time. No marquee to tell the tourists what is playing inside. The old entrance patio waterfalls don't work or have been removed and mold is growing in places. They can't even rent some of the side business stores. The Egyptian is just a shell inside of It's old walls. That lobby video cinema is a joke and a waste of space.

At one time they had a huge Todd-AO curved screen along with the UA D-150 screen with curtains.

When the big earthquake hit It took a toll on the inside of the Egyptian and the walls.

I don't think the gang at Netflix knew how much trouble they were getting into in buying this once classic cinema and the work needed to bring her back up to a large Hollywood showcase. They may still be looking to take over and It may just be taking more time?

By Netflix going into the old 'Pacific Warner Cinerama' building
(If they can snap this long closed major cinema up) the Forman brothers at Pacific Theatres may not want to sell to some other person or company that may be a threat to their busy Arclight complex a few blocks away?

But 'Netflix' may just run their own product plus special events along with classics on the big new curved screen at the Warner Hollywood, way larger then the Cinerama® Dome and not be in first run competition with the Arclight Theatres.

To me the Hollywood area is very under screened these days with all the tourists and new apartments/condos going up.The single El Capitain Theatre just shows mainly a Disney movie and across the street you have the IMAX Chinese and 6 other small type screens in the back of the Chinese Theatre

MR Scorsese I think would pick the fixed up old Warner Hollywood Theatre over the 'Egyptian' when showing one of his Netflix movies or any of his future films in the future.

While the Egyptian has done a great job in bookings of 35mm/70mm films plus classics along with film festivals the now small seating cinema space leaves something to be desired.

Lets hope Netflix reads my post on the 'Warner Hollywood' or I will write them. It's time to re open this long vacant cinema for the Netflix generation and visiting worldwide tourists to enjoy!

 |  IP: Logged



All times are Central (GMT -6:00)  
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:



Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.

© 1999-2020 Film-Tech Cinema Systems, LLC. All rights reserved.