The Compromise- AMC and Warner Bros to Give an Exclusive 45 days to Theaters Prior to Streaming

The Compromise- AMC and Warner Bros to Give an Exclusive 45 days to Theaters Prior to Streaming

AMC and Warner Bros. have decided that the studio’s movies will be exclusive to the theatres for 45 days prior to streaming services. This means that movies by Warner Bros. will not be available immediately like they previously had been on streaming services throughout the pandemic. AMC’s CEO, Adam Aron announced the news that Warner Bros. 2022 movies, including The Batman, Sesame Street, and others will not be available on HBO Max or at home until after they have been released in theatres for a solid 45 days.

Similarly, the entertainment conglomerate had also made an agreement with Regal Cinema. While these huge announcements are really big changes–even if it’s just for a short period of time–it goes to show that the streaming experiment that has become extremely popular among all studios may be heading for a change. Although movies won’t be available the same day that they are released in theatres on streaming services, this does not mean that things are exactly getting back to how they were pre-pandemic. In fact, theatres previously had exclusive claims on showcasing movies from 75 to 90 days, which is significantly longer than what is happening now. And while this is quite a big deal for both the studio side and theatre side, Warner Bros. is certainly not taking its focus away from streaming services. According to the team at AMC, all films being released in 2022 by Warner Bros. will experience the exclusivity window, but HBO Max would be releasing 10 exclusive films a year, which is also a huge announcement for the streaming platform and the industry as a whole. 

And while this is quite the announcement for Warner Bros., this does not mean that other studios and movie theatres aren’t also hopping on this trend. In fact, other major studios and theatres like AMC and Universal have negotiated a deal for as little as a 17-day exclusivity window, and Paramount and Disney will be doing a 45-day exclusivity window. Most major studios have their own respective streaming services to sell, but despite what is happening right now, movie theatres are still extremely important to the business. And to no surprise, AMC also said that they have active communication with every major studio regarding exclusivity windows. 

This can definitely be a huge win for all parties: studios, theatres, filmmakers, actors, and movie-goers. When studios first decided it was best for streaming and theatre releases to be on the same day, theatres certainly took a hit and many thought that that would be the end of in-theatre movies. Unsurprisingly, actors were also displeased with the same-day releases for streaming and in-theatre movies, given that many actors involved have their pay tied to the box office performance. For instance, Scarlett Johansson suing Disney due to the Black Widow is just one major example. For studios, not only have the theatres and actors shown their displeasure but filmmakers, of course, too. Therefore, it is not difficult to see why studios are considering going back to the old ways with a compromise–although slowly–and hopefully will come with even shorter exclusivity windows as time goes on. 

With all of the groundbreaking news being announced, AMC has also reported that it’ll be opening about a dozen new theatres around the world. However, it doesn’t stop there–AMC has also announced that it will be acquiring some theatres from the Arclight and Pacific Chain, which previously announced that they wouldn’t be reopening due to the pandemic earlier in the year. The great thing about all of this is that movie lovers can enjoy their favorite movies the “old-school” way in theatres, rather than watching the release of a movie at home.

For those who enjoy a movie in-theatre, studios and theatres are working together to keep this experience alive. While watching the release of a new movie at home has become more common and a much more convenient way of enjoying a new movie, the novelty of attending a movie theater to watch a movie that many eagerly await the release of has not been lost.

With 2022 being poised as the theatre-going year, this makes it an extremely exciting time for studios, theatres, filmmakers, and movie-goers alike. There are a number of huge releases, including The Batman, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Jurassic World: Dominion, Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse 2, Avatar 2, among many others. With that being said, there is no shortage of big releases in 2022, making it a film season many are looking forward to. While these enormous announcements are thrilling, that doesn’t mean that studios are completely disregarding streaming services. So regardless of your preference, in-theatre or at-home movie watching, there will always be something for everyone. But the big news here is that this will hopefully be a step towards ‘normalcy’ and confidence in the future for the movie industry. If all goes as planned, movie-goers will not only be able to see these hit movies in theatres but also get to enjoy others in the comfort of their own home. Regardless, studios, theatres, filmmakers, actors, and movie-goers will soon be able to feel the excitement and exclusivity of being able to watch a movie for the first time ever in theatres.

About Vedette Finance

Tarek Anthony Jabre founded Vedette Finance in 2012, a Los Angeles-based film development and finance company. Vedette Finance has established itself as a company committed to dealing with projects at all different stages of production. Vedette Finance’s objective is to develop its premium value slate, creatively, and structure the financing to produce a diverse range of film projects. For more information about Anthony Jabre, CEO and Founder of Vedette Finance, visit www.VedetteFinance.com