Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble calls out the release model for The other misadventures of Cliff Booth not good for the theatrical ecosystem, nor in the best interest of its theaters.
The no. 3 American exhibitor — as well as no. 2 Regal channel — won’t play Netflix movie, Quentin Tarantino sequel Once upon a time in Hollywood, after the streamer set a two-week Imax theatrical window for the November 25 release ahead of its December 25 streaming debut. It will be played in AMC cinemas, the largest exhibitor, as well as in certain independent cinemas in standard format.
“THE Cliff Stand It’s an interesting situation,” Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble said when asked about the release during a post-quarterly earnings call.
“We reserve all of our films on a case-by-case basis. In this particular situation, we always look at things from a long-term perspective and how certain precedents and things we might do might affect the dynamics of the industry in the long term. In this particular case, we do not believe the proposed release model is constructive for the broader theatrical ecosystem, and it is not aligned with the greater interest of our theaters.”
He also noted The Hunger Games: Sunrise over the Harvest“a huge film that will be released just before… by one of our main partner studios.
“The buzz around this film is that pre-sales have gone through the roof, so our intention is to continue to release it in its second week, as we will in its first week on our screens,” he said.
Regal also commented on the Cliff Stand window in a statement obtained by Deadline.
“Regal’s premium displays are among our most valuable assets, and one of the factors we consider in how we allocate them is the level of commitment distributors have to the theatrical market,” said Brooks LeBoeuf, senior vice president of U.S. content at Regal Global Entertainment.
“Shortened theatrical windows directly impact these decisions, as they limit audiences’ ability to experience films on the big screen. We will continue to prioritize releases that recognize the value of theatrical exclusivity, including The Hunger Games: Sunrise over the Harvestwhich will benefit from our full support in IMAX.
Netflix has become more theater-friendly, recently designating a handful of films for theaters and official box office reporting, although windows vary. The first was the platform launch of the festival favorite and awards contender. The Black Bola three weeks ago, followed by The mosquito bowl last weekend. Greta Gerwig’s release in February, Narnia: the magician’s nephew will have a 50-day release window, and that of the next holiday season Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory a 47 day window.
“I think it’s probably early to draw any conclusions,” Gamble said, “but they’ve certainly taken more constructive steps to engage more in filmmaking. I mean, they’ve announced six films through November 2027 that will be released theatrically in their entirety with marketing campaigns and box office results communicated. We’ll see how those are fully executed. So we have to wait and see how that goes. But again, we view that as a positive. And we’re moving on. to believe that, like all their peers, there is substantial value for them… in a more meaningful theatrical presence.
“There’s obviously a lot of change going on in this business right now, so we’ll see where things go.”
He said streamers are at different stages of theatrical evolution.
“Amazon, obviously, is primarily focused on theatrical release. Following the acquisition of MGM, they’ve repeatedly stated their intention to ramp up to about 15 theatrical releases per year, and they’re getting closer to that this year. So they’re certainly big on it. They’ve put resources in place both domestically and internationally to make that happen from a distribution and marketing perspective. So they’re clearly in it for the long haul, and we continue to see them evolve from positive way.
Apple, he noted, has had great success with F1. “In the conversations we’ve had with Apple, we think they’re probably going to start escalating a little bit more before too long. The extent of that, I think, still remains to be seen. They haven’t made any firm commitments yet, but at least we’re encouraged by what we’re hearing, that they’re getting into the theater a little bit more.”
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