Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: DVD helps theatres in some cases

This is topic DVD helps theatres in some cases in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 09-06-2005, 04:37 PM:

Transporter 2 opened at number one this weekend, a little over 20 Mil. The original only made 25 mil for its entire run. So this was a case of DVD, cable, pay-per-view, ect. helping the theatres by allowing folks to catch something they missed at the theatres.

I can think of a couple other examples of this. One is Adam Sandlers career. His first couple of movies (Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore) were so-so at the box office, but huge on video, which built up the fan base, which helped the theatres.

Another example is Austin Powers. The first Powers did around 55, the second over 200.

Of course, sequels will bomb when the original sucks.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 09-10-2005, 09:56 PM:

There are cases where a movie is more successful in its home video [dlp]

release than it was theatrically, which then spawns more-better box office for the sequels. Austin Powers is a perfect example. There are others, although I can't think of any right at the moment.

Hey, just didn't want Matt to think his post was ignored! [Big Grin]

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 09-10-2005, 10:16 PM:

Office Space is another example of a movie doing more business on video than it did in its theatrical run. Mike Judge hasn't wanted to do a sequel for it though, and thankfully Fox hasn't assigned another writer/director to make one. (I'm not sure who owns the rights to the story, but if it's Judge, that would explain Fox not producing an almost assuredly profitable sequel).

I would assume that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back got a $20m budget & $30m theatrical gross in large part due to people being introduced to Kevin Smith (and hence those characters) thanks to video/DVD.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-11-2005, 06:34 PM:

Course, this kinda proves what Phil had mentioned in his one post in that topic that I opened up about the "DVD Marketplace" post - his comment on that movies being the "teaser" release to enhance the sales of DVD's.

-Monte

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 09-13-2005, 07:49 PM:

Mat, David and Monte

Do you guys really think DVD presents a threat to the cinema industry and your jobs as well, the strength DVD and cinema admissions this year have been on an all time low, with more and more folks buying DVD, and some with pucker home cinema set-ups that leave most cinemas flat on the face due to poor sound playback presentation, don’t take this wrong please I was a

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-14-2005, 02:09 AM:

Great post! [Confused]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-14-2005, 02:20 AM:

Some guys just realize it's time to stop rambling Mike. [Smile]

Posted by Tommie Evans (Member # 2674) on 09-27-2005, 01:40 PM:

I heard Pixar's 'Cars' is going straight to DVD?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 09-27-2005, 02:32 PM:

quote: Tommie Evans
I heard Pixar's 'Cars' is going straight to DVD?

I think that's highly unlikely. Where did you hear that?

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 09-27-2005, 06:24 PM:

Last I heard Cars was being delayed till a next summer release so they could move the date for Chicken Little to November to allow the time needed for the 3-D conversion process.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-27-2005, 06:46 PM:

I thought Cars was always a 2006 release.

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 09-27-2005, 07:01 PM:

Cars was originaly a Spring 2006 release and if memory serves me right, its now in November of 06'.

I've kinda given up on trying to figure out what Andys trying to say half the time. [Wink]

He goes in one direction then cuts back to another and then another then just stops [beer]

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 09-27-2005, 08:28 PM:

Moving 'Cars' puts Pixar in driver's seat

In a move that could better position Pixar Animation Studios in its upcoming negotiations with potential distribution partners, the Emeryville, Calif.-based studio said Tuesday that its upcoming film "Cars" will be postponed from its planned November release to a June 2006 bow. The announcement was made jointly with Pixar's current partner, Walt Disney Pictures. The date change immediately triggered a flurry of other moves as Disney's Buena Vista Distribution arm shifted its CG-animated feature "Chicken Little" from a summer slot to Nov. 4. Sony Pictures also chose to move its upcoming "Legend of Zorro" from a late September slot to a November date. Pixar and Disney explained that moving "Cars" to June 9, 2006, would allow them to take full advantage of the large summer moviegoing audience, followed by the lucrative holiday DVD market. Pixar CEO Steve Jobs has spoken previously of wanting to shift Pixar's release schedules to take advantage of the summer moviegoing/holiday DVD sales dynamic. (Nicole Sperling)
Hollywood Reporter

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 09-27-2005, 10:19 PM:

Ahh well, forget what I said then, I was just talking out of my ass! [thumbsup]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-27-2005, 11:59 PM:

OK, but how does that put Pixar in the "driver's seat?"

It does, if Chicken Little flops. If CL is a hit, it doesn't.

Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 09-28-2005, 01:11 AM:

When Finding Nemo and the Shrek movies proved that there's more money to be made during the summer with computer-animated movies than during November, it didn't take too many pencil-pushers to convince the folks at Pixar that a summer schedule was the way to go. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-28-2005, 01:42 AM:

Sure. The fact that they were well-made movies with good stories and wide audience appeal didn't make any difference at all. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 09-28-2005, 09:42 AM:

you know it is all press release mumbo jumbo. The movie title being moved was Cars, a car has a drivers seat and Pixar is in it. Plus, I am not sure if, at the time of the press release, Pixar was still in the negotiation stages for future release projects with Disney.

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 09-28-2005, 10:46 AM:

The change in release dates, which took place in December 2004, had nothing to do with the 3D conversion of Chicken Little. Disney did not approach REAL D, Dolby and ILM until just after ShoWest in March 2005 and the deal was finalized in April. ILM was chosen because they are able to do real time stereoscopic conversion of the animation as the film is actually being animated, using the same models the animators are using. This is a much different approach than taking pre-rendered animation and converting it into a new film. In fact, one of the ILM animators told me they have just completed rendering the last shot of the film in 3D.