從前,,世界上還沒有新冠肺炎,各色大片源源不斷地在全球同步獻(xiàn)映,。
還記得1975年由史蒂文·斯皮爾伯格執(zhí)導(dǎo)的那一部《大白鯊》嗎,?當(dāng)年該片一上映,便萬(wàn)人空巷,,最終在全球創(chuàng)下了4.7億美元票房,。至此,精準(zhǔn)的市場(chǎng)定位及全球化的營(yíng)銷方式成了好萊塢商業(yè)電影的主題,。每個(gè)周末,,影院就成了好萊塢的戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)。盡管也有好片在平日里零星上映,,但那些大片往往采取集中式的轟炸手段,,用盡一切辦法吸引觀眾的眼球。對(duì)這些影片來(lái)說,,全球首日票房超過3億美元已經(jīng)變得稀松平常,。去年,《復(fù)仇者聯(lián)盟4:終局之戰(zhàn)》在幾天內(nèi)就賺了10億美元,。
如今,,好萊塢已經(jīng)連續(xù)四個(gè)月沒有在影院上線任何影片了,。雖然好萊塢影片中的一部分選擇了流媒體平臺(tái),但那些萬(wàn)眾矚目的巨作——《信條》,、《花木蘭》,、《寂靜之地2》仍舊是箭在弦上而未發(fā)??梢哉f,,電影業(yè)還是未能脫離休止?fàn)顟B(tài)。由于美國(guó)近期的新增病例數(shù)量又開始上漲,,一些好不容易定檔的影片日期被一延再延,影院的復(fù)業(yè)時(shí)間也被推遲到了8月,。
曾經(jīng)每年?duì)I收500億美元的Movie house電影院表示,,該公司四個(gè)月來(lái)顆粒無(wú)收,已經(jīng)陷入了財(cái)務(wù)困境,,就算現(xiàn)在離理想的情況還差的很遠(yuǎn),,新片也應(yīng)該上映了。盡管餐飲業(yè),、航空業(yè)也正處于水深火熱之中,,但餐廳還有外賣業(yè)務(wù),,航空公司也可以讓每個(gè)人戴上口罩,,然后繼續(xù)運(yùn)行,,但電影院自從3月開始就連一張票都沒有賣出去過,有些人甚至已經(jīng)開始在路邊賣爆米花了,。
“問題的關(guān)鍵在于我們現(xiàn)在迫切地需要電影公司的片源?!泵绹?guó)電影院協(xié)會(huì)的主席兼首席執(zhí)行官約翰·菲西安說,,“電影發(fā)行商不應(yīng)該等到影院100%開放再上架他們的片子,因?yàn)檫@是不可能發(fā)生的,,除非有疫苗可供所有人接種,?!彼€補(bǔ)充道,“發(fā)行商們需要重新思考自己的運(yùn)營(yíng)策略,,從前的發(fā)行模式顯然已經(jīng)不再適用于現(xiàn)階段了,。”
現(xiàn)在看來(lái),,未來(lái)一段時(shí)間的影片發(fā)行模式很可能會(huì)回歸到比較原始的時(shí)期,,以分時(shí)分地的上映方式來(lái)取代全球同步放映,也就是說,,先在其他的低風(fēng)險(xiǎn)國(guó)家上映,,再在美國(guó)上映,。本周早些時(shí)候,,華納兄弟再次宣布推遲克里斯托弗·諾蘭的新片《信條》的上映日期。與此同時(shí),,華納兄弟影業(yè)集團(tuán)的董事長(zhǎng)托比·艾默里奇說:“公司不會(huì)再把全球同步獻(xiàn)映的那一套加在《信條》身上,。”
本次疫情重塑了電影院與制片商兩者之間的關(guān)系,,他們?cè)诶婀采耐瑫r(shí),,偶爾也會(huì)發(fā)生一些爭(zhēng)執(zhí),。但不管怎么說,只要有票房收入,,他們就能五五分成,,兩者的命運(yùn)在大多數(shù)時(shí)候依然緊密相連。
目前,,包括迪士尼,、華納兄弟,、環(huán)球影業(yè)在內(nèi)的一些大型制片廠都有了自己的流媒體及電視業(yè)務(wù),,所以他們手中擁有著更多的選擇。前一段時(shí)間,,環(huán)球影業(yè)選擇以線上點(diǎn)播的方式上映《魔發(fā)精靈2》,,直接觸怒了AMC院線,后者宣布再也不放映環(huán)球影業(yè)的影片了,。但除去這兩家公司以外,,大部分的影院和制片商還是選擇勠力合作,共同抵御疫情嚴(yán)冬,。
繼續(xù)堅(jiān)持線下放映,,其實(shí)也符合制片商自身的利益所在,。對(duì)于那些花了重金打造且希圖大熱的作品,制片商是不愿眼睜睜看著自己的成果被無(wú)端折損數(shù)十億美元的,。本周四,,華納兄弟母公司AT&T的首席執(zhí)行官約翰·斯坦基表示,直接把電影搬上華納HBO MAX流媒體平臺(tái)可能是一種不錯(cuò)的選擇,,但不是《信條》這種體量的電影的最佳選擇,。單單是《信條》的成本費(fèi),就已經(jīng)超過2億美元了,。
目前,,歐洲、中東與韓國(guó)部分地區(qū)的電影院已經(jīng)重新開放,。上周末,,尹相鎬的《釜山行》續(xù)集《半島》以1320萬(wàn)美元的價(jià)格首次亮相。本周,,中國(guó)的電影院重新開放,,影院上座率限制為30%。
而大片的主要上映地北美則可能必須要學(xué)會(huì)跟隨世界其他地區(qū),。
盡管美國(guó)大部分地區(qū)的新冠病毒感染病例激增,,但參展商相信,通過遵守衛(wèi)生部門的要求,、減小影院容量與及時(shí)清潔等方式,,他們可以相對(duì)安全地運(yùn)營(yíng)影院。周四,,AMC已經(jīng)將其在美國(guó)電影院的重新開放時(shí)間推遲到8月中下旬,,以配合迪士尼的《花木蘭》和華納兄弟的《信條》。AMC院線原本將美國(guó)影院重新開放的時(shí)間定為7月30日,。
但是無(wú)論上映什么電影,,都會(huì)有部分觀眾選擇不去電影院,。哥倫比亞大學(xué)的流行病學(xué)家杰弗里·沙曼就不打算今年去看電影,。
“室內(nèi)是病毒傳播主要場(chǎng)所的說法似乎是謹(jǐn)慎的?!?沙曼表示,,“你可能會(huì)想:這是一個(gè)電影院。如果將人與人之間隔開,,那么就是一個(gè)很大的房間,,有著很高的天花板。如果他們調(diào)大通風(fēng)力度,,那這里實(shí)際上并不是最密集的環(huán)境,。它不像擁擠的酒吧,,天花板很低,所以可能沒有酒吧那么危險(xiǎn),。但這比坐在家里看Netflix更危險(xiǎn)嗎,?是的,當(dāng)然是,?!?/p>
目前,所有電影院和電影制片廠的運(yùn)營(yíng)可能都不完善,。菲西安相信,,如果有新電影上映,美國(guó)75%的影院可能會(huì)在幾天之內(nèi)開放,。如今,,加州電影院已經(jīng)關(guān)閉,紐約的影院尚未重新開放,,所以票房排名靠前的洛杉磯和紐約都被排除了,。
菲西安說:“時(shí)間越長(zhǎng),申請(qǐng)破產(chǎn)和重組的公司就越多,?!?他目前正在游說國(guó)會(huì)加大對(duì)影院的支持力度?!暗绻呙鐔柺乐皼]有新電影,,那很多公司將面臨可怕的局面?!?
最近,,AMC籌集了3億美元,以幫助自己保持償債能力,。在整個(gè)行業(yè)中,,大約有15萬(wàn)名工人處于休假狀態(tài)。
電影歷史學(xué)家,、加利福尼亞大學(xué)洛杉磯分校的教授喬納森·昆茨表示,,《信條》是為不再存在的世界而制作的。
盡管現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)不可能如往常一樣在全球范圍內(nèi)發(fā)布,,但即興創(chuàng)作的弊端可能并不像看起來(lái)那么糟糕——只要盜版行為還不普遍,。《信條》就可以占據(jù)大多數(shù)屏幕,,其開放時(shí)間能夠貫穿一周,。廣告將更加便宜,幾乎不會(huì)分散觀眾的注意力,。
“他們必須具有極強(qiáng)的創(chuàng)造力和敏感度去汲取很多東西,,或許能為我們正在進(jìn)入的這種COVID戲劇世界樹立一個(gè)榜樣,。”昆茨表示,,“如果他們不做任何事情,,只是堅(jiān)持不放電影,那么電影院就要死了,。然后我們會(huì)失去很多——不僅僅是寶藏導(dǎo)演克里斯托弗·諾蘭,。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳怡軒,、于佳鑫
從前,,世界上還沒有新冠肺炎,各色大片源源不斷地在全球同步獻(xiàn)映,。
還記得1975年由史蒂文·斯皮爾伯格執(zhí)導(dǎo)的那一部《大白鯊》嗎,?當(dāng)年該片一上映,便萬(wàn)人空巷,,最終在全球創(chuàng)下了4.7億美元票房,。至此,精準(zhǔn)的市場(chǎng)定位及全球化的營(yíng)銷方式成了好萊塢商業(yè)電影的主題,。每個(gè)周末,,影院就成了好萊塢的戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)。盡管也有好片在平日里零星上映,,但那些大片往往采取集中式的轟炸手段,,用盡一切辦法吸引觀眾的眼球。對(duì)這些影片來(lái)說,,全球首日票房超過3億美元已經(jīng)變得稀松平常,。去年,《復(fù)仇者聯(lián)盟4:終局之戰(zhàn)》在幾天內(nèi)就賺了10億美元,。
如今,,好萊塢已經(jīng)連續(xù)四個(gè)月沒有在影院上線任何影片了。雖然好萊塢影片中的一部分選擇了流媒體平臺(tái),,但那些萬(wàn)眾矚目的巨作——《信條》,、《花木蘭》、《寂靜之地2》仍舊是箭在弦上而未發(fā),??梢哉f,,電影業(yè)還是未能脫離休止?fàn)顟B(tài),。由于美國(guó)近期的新增病例數(shù)量又開始上漲,一些好不容易定檔的影片日期被一延再延,,影院的復(fù)業(yè)時(shí)間也被推遲到了8月,。
曾經(jīng)每年?duì)I收500億美元的Movie house電影院表示,,該公司四個(gè)月來(lái)顆粒無(wú)收,已經(jīng)陷入了財(cái)務(wù)困境,,就算現(xiàn)在離理想的情況還差的很遠(yuǎn),,新片也應(yīng)該上映了。盡管餐飲業(yè),、航空業(yè)也正處于水深火熱之中,,但餐廳還有外賣業(yè)務(wù),航空公司也可以讓每個(gè)人戴上口罩,,然后繼續(xù)運(yùn)行,,但電影院自從3月開始就連一張票都沒有賣出去過,有些人甚至已經(jīng)開始在路邊賣爆米花了,。
“問題的關(guān)鍵在于我們現(xiàn)在迫切地需要電影公司的片源,。”美國(guó)電影院協(xié)會(huì)的主席兼首席執(zhí)行官約翰·菲西安說,,“電影發(fā)行商不應(yīng)該等到影院100%開放再上架他們的片子,,因?yàn)檫@是不可能發(fā)生的,除非有疫苗可供所有人接種,?!彼€補(bǔ)充道,“發(fā)行商們需要重新思考自己的運(yùn)營(yíng)策略,,從前的發(fā)行模式顯然已經(jīng)不再適用于現(xiàn)階段了,。”
現(xiàn)在看來(lái),,未來(lái)一段時(shí)間的影片發(fā)行模式很可能會(huì)回歸到比較原始的時(shí)期,,以分時(shí)分地的上映方式來(lái)取代全球同步放映,也就是說,,先在其他的低風(fēng)險(xiǎn)國(guó)家上映,,再在美國(guó)上映。本周早些時(shí)候,,華納兄弟再次宣布推遲克里斯托弗·諾蘭的新片《信條》的上映日期,。與此同時(shí),華納兄弟影業(yè)集團(tuán)的董事長(zhǎng)托比·艾默里奇說:“公司不會(huì)再把全球同步獻(xiàn)映的那一套加在《信條》身上,?!?/p>
本次疫情重塑了電影院與制片商兩者之間的關(guān)系,他們?cè)诶婀采耐瑫r(shí),,偶爾也會(huì)發(fā)生一些爭(zhēng)執(zhí),。但不管怎么說,只要有票房收入,,他們就能五五分成,,兩者的命運(yùn)在大多數(shù)時(shí)候依然緊密相連,。
目前,包括迪士尼,、華納兄弟,、環(huán)球影業(yè)在內(nèi)的一些大型制片廠都有了自己的流媒體及電視業(yè)務(wù),所以他們手中擁有著更多的選擇,。前一段時(shí)間,,環(huán)球影業(yè)選擇以線上點(diǎn)播的方式上映《魔發(fā)精靈2》,直接觸怒了AMC院線,,后者宣布再也不放映環(huán)球影業(yè)的影片了,。但除去這兩家公司以外,大部分的影院和制片商還是選擇勠力合作,,共同抵御疫情嚴(yán)冬,。
繼續(xù)堅(jiān)持線下放映,其實(shí)也符合制片商自身的利益所在,。對(duì)于那些花了重金打造且希圖大熱的作品,,制片商是不愿眼睜睜看著自己的成果被無(wú)端折損數(shù)十億美元的。本周四,,華納兄弟母公司AT&T的首席執(zhí)行官約翰·斯坦基表示,,直接把電影搬上華納HBO MAX流媒體平臺(tái)可能是一種不錯(cuò)的選擇,但不是《信條》這種體量的電影的最佳選擇,。單單是《信條》的成本費(fèi),,就已經(jīng)超過2億美元了。
目前,,歐洲,、中東與韓國(guó)部分地區(qū)的電影院已經(jīng)重新開放。上周末,,尹相鎬的《釜山行》續(xù)集《半島》以1320萬(wàn)美元的價(jià)格首次亮相,。本周,中國(guó)的電影院重新開放,,影院上座率限制為30%,。
而大片的主要上映地北美則可能必須要學(xué)會(huì)跟隨世界其他地區(qū)。
盡管美國(guó)大部分地區(qū)的新冠病毒感染病例激增,,但參展商相信,,通過遵守衛(wèi)生部門的要求、減小影院容量與及時(shí)清潔等方式,,他們可以相對(duì)安全地運(yùn)營(yíng)影院,。周四,AMC已經(jīng)將其在美國(guó)電影院的重新開放時(shí)間推遲到8月中下旬,以配合迪士尼的《花木蘭》和華納兄弟的《信條》,。AMC院線原本將美國(guó)影院重新開放的時(shí)間定為7月30日,。
但是無(wú)論上映什么電影,,都會(huì)有部分觀眾選擇不去電影院,。哥倫比亞大學(xué)的流行病學(xué)家杰弗里·沙曼就不打算今年去看電影。
“室內(nèi)是病毒傳播主要場(chǎng)所的說法似乎是謹(jǐn)慎的,?!?沙曼表示,“你可能會(huì)想:這是一個(gè)電影院,。如果將人與人之間隔開,,那么就是一個(gè)很大的房間,有著很高的天花板,。如果他們調(diào)大通風(fēng)力度,,那這里實(shí)際上并不是最密集的環(huán)境。它不像擁擠的酒吧,,天花板很低,,所以可能沒有酒吧那么危險(xiǎn)。但這比坐在家里看Netflix更危險(xiǎn)嗎,?是的,,當(dāng)然是?!?/p>
目前,,所有電影院和電影制片廠的運(yùn)營(yíng)可能都不完善。菲西安相信,,如果有新電影上映,,美國(guó)75%的影院可能會(huì)在幾天之內(nèi)開放。如今,,加州電影院已經(jīng)關(guān)閉,,紐約的影院尚未重新開放,所以票房排名靠前的洛杉磯和紐約都被排除了,。
菲西安說:“時(shí)間越長(zhǎng),,申請(qǐng)破產(chǎn)和重組的公司就越多?!?他目前正在游說國(guó)會(huì)加大對(duì)影院的支持力度,。“但如果疫苗問世之前沒有新電影,,那很多公司將面臨可怕的局面,。”
最近,AMC籌集了3億美元,,以幫助自己保持償債能力,。在整個(gè)行業(yè)中,大約有15萬(wàn)名工人處于休假狀態(tài),。
電影歷史學(xué)家,、加利福尼亞大學(xué)洛杉磯分校的教授喬納森·昆茨表示,《信條》是為不再存在的世界而制作的,。
盡管現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)不可能如往常一樣在全球范圍內(nèi)發(fā)布,,但即興創(chuàng)作的弊端可能并不像看起來(lái)那么糟糕——只要盜版行為還不普遍?!缎艞l》就可以占據(jù)大多數(shù)屏幕,,其開放時(shí)間能夠貫穿一周。廣告將更加便宜,,幾乎不會(huì)分散觀眾的注意力,。
“他們必須具有極強(qiáng)的創(chuàng)造力和敏感度去汲取很多東西,或許能為我們正在進(jìn)入的這種COVID戲劇世界樹立一個(gè)榜樣,?!崩ゴ谋硎荆叭绻麄儾蛔鋈魏问虑?,只是堅(jiān)持不放電影,,那么電影院就要死了。然后我們會(huì)失去很多——不僅僅是寶藏導(dǎo)演克里斯托弗·諾蘭,?!保ㄘ?cái)富中文網(wǎng))
編譯:陳怡軒、于佳鑫
A long time ago in a pre-COVID universe far, far away, blockbusters opened around the globe simultaneously or nearly so.
In 1975, “Jaws” set the blueprint. Concentrate marketing. Open wide. Pack them in. Since then, Hollywood has turned opening weekends into an all-out assault. Staggered rollouts still happen, of course, but the biggest films are dropped like carpet bombs. Anything less risks losing the attention of moviegoers. Global debuts north of $300 million became commonplace. Last year, “Avengers: Endgame” made well north of $1 billion in a couple days.
Hollywood has now gone more than four months without a major theatrical release. While some films have found new streaming homes, the biggest upcoming ones — “Tenet,” “Mulan,” “A Quiet Place Part II” — remain idled like jumbo jets on the tarmac. The leading chains are still shuttered. Recent coronavirus spikes have forced release dates to shuffle and chains to postpone reopening to August.
Now, movie houses say that despite far from ideal circumstances, it’s time for new movies. Four months of near zero revenue has brought the $50 billion annual business to its knees. While the beleaguered restaurant industry still has takeout and airlines continue to operate with masked flyers, the vast majority of U.S. movie theaters haven’t punched a single ticket since March. Some have turned to selling popcorn curbside.
“The problem is, we need their movies,” says John Fithian, president and chief executive of National Association of Theater Owners. “Distributors who want to play movies theatrically, they can’t wait until 100% of markets are allowed open because that’s not going to happen until there’s a vaccine widely available in the world.”“The old distribution models of big blockbusters," adds Fithian, “need to be rethought.”
That may mean returning to a more old-fashioned release pattern, opening films overseas first and, in the U.S., opening at different times in different areas. When Warner Bros. earlier this week announced it was delaying the release of Christopher Nolan’s“Tenet” because of the rise in cases, Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said the studio is “not treating ‘Tenet’ like a traditional global day-and-date release.”
The coronavirus crisis has ushered in new chapter in the often symbiotic, occasionally quarrelsome relationship between distributors and exhibitors. Splitting ticket sale revenue approximately in half, their fortunes have often been closely linked.
The largest studios — the Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros., Universal — now all have streaming services of their own now, along with television operations. So they have options. The on-demand release of “Trolls” caused a rift between Universal and AMC. But the two halves of theatrical moviegoing have worked largely in concert through the pandemic thus far.
It’s in their own self-interest. Studios have been loath to sacrifice billions in box office for their priciest and most popular releases. On Thursday, John Stankey, chief executive of Warner Bros. parent company AT&T said direct release to HBO Max could be option for some Warner Bros. movies but not the $200 million “Tenet.”
With distancing protocols and other measures, cinemas have reopened in parts of Europe, the Middle East and South Korea, where last weekend Yeon Sang-ho’s “Train to Busan” action sequel “Peninsula” debuted with $13.2 million. Theaters in China, the world’s second largest movie market, this week reopened with theaters limited to 30% capacity.
North America, usually the main event of a blockbuster release, may have to learn to follow the rest of the world.
Despite the virus surge in much of the U.S., exhibitors believe they can operate relatively safely by adhering to health officials, decreasing theater capacity and cleaning in between showings. After initially flip-flopping, AMC will require patrons to wear masks. AMC, the world’s largest circuit, on Thursday delayed its reopening from the end of July to mid-to-late August, a timing that it said reflects the expected new release dates for “Tenet” and Disney’s “Mulan,” now slated for Aug. 21.
Some moviegoers, naturally, don’t anticipate going, regardless of what comes out. Jeffrey Shaman, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, isn’t planning to go to the movies this year.
“It seems prudent to think that indoors is where the lion share of transmission takes place,” says Shaman. “You could think: well, it’s a movie theater. If you space people out, it’s a big room, tall ceilings. If they get the ventilation cranked up, it’s actually not the most concentrated environment. It’s not liked a packed bar with a low ceiling. It’s probably not as dangerous as that scenario. But is it more dangerous than sitting home and watching Netflix? Yes, of course it is.”
But imperfect may be all cinemas and studios have for now. Fithian believes 75% of U.S. theaters could be open within days if they had new movies. (Those currently open are mainly playing older films.) Theaters are closed in California and have yet to reopen in New York despite the state’s relative success in combating the virus. That removes the two top cities in ticket sales, Los Angeles and New York.
“The longer this goes, there will be bankruptcy filings and reorganizations and there will be people who go out of business,” says Fithian who’s currently lobbying for greater Congressional support for theaters. “But if there are no new movies until that’s a vaccine, that’s a dire situation for a lot of companies.”
AMC recently raised $300 million in debt relief to help itself remain solvent. Throughout the industry, some 150,000 workers remain furloughed.
Jonathan Kuntz, a film historian and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, says “Tenet” “was made for a world that no longer exists.”
But as much as the familiar kind of worldwide launch is now impossible, the downside of improvising might not be as bad as it seems — provided piracy isn't widespread. There will be scant competition. “Tenet” can take up most screens. Its opening can be spread out through the week. Advertising will be cheaper. Audiences will have little to distract them.
“They’re going to have to be very inventive and very nimble to squeeze what they can out of this movie and maybe set a pattern for this kind of COVID theatrical universe we’re moving into,” says Kuntz. “If they don’t do something, if they just keeping holding the films back, the theaters are going to die. Then everything’s going to just be streaming and we’ll have lost something a lot of people — not just Christopher Nolan — treasure.”