The Warner Bros. Thread | Will NOT merge with Paramount...capitalism is still terrible

[excel1]

Sarnoff must resigned, WB should bring back Alan Horn to take over 

[YM!]

21 minutes ago, excel1 said:

WB's incompetence put them in this terrible position where they were boxed in, and now their relationship "management" has been pathetic. Who knows what happens but wow have they pissed off talent.

 

Sell DC to Disney for gods sake. Or hire @excel1

What would you do exactly?

[jimisawesome]

41 minutes ago, redfirebird2008 said:

 

Disney seems like the most likely spot for him. Disney is the studio with the most to gain from keeping theaters afloat. They are the company with the strongest properties at the box office, whether it's Marvel or Star Wars or Avatar, etc. Disney also has Alan Horn, a former executive at Warner who was in charge of greenlighting a huge chunk of Nolan's filmography at WB. 

 

You would think given they have about 40% marketshare yet they have indicated they see Disney+ as their future.  They have done nothing to save theaters pushing even low hanging projects that they could afford to sacrifice to the future (Free Guy).  They have made no indication at all they are going to offer a bail/buy out to AMC or regional theaters.  They put Mulan and Soul on streaming before WB announced this plan.

[redfirebird2008]

1 minute ago, jimisawesome said:

 

You would think given they have about 40% marketshare yet they have indicated they see Disney+ as their future.  They have done nothing to save theaters pushing even low hanging projects that they could afford to sacrifice to the future (Free Guy).  They have made no indication at all they are going to offer a bail/buy out to AMC or regional theaters.  They put Mulan and Soul on streaming before WB announced this plan.

 

It's true. Disney is the one I don't understand out of all of them. They had a movie with $2.8 billion by itself at the box office in 2019. You would think this particular studio would very much like to keep the old box office system in place instead of allowing it to be quickly dismantled.

 

Even if people believe the population might want to go back to movie theaters in say 12-18 months, the question is will theaters be there to help meet this surge in demand? Many of them will be shutting down permanently due to the COVID situation. Who is going to take the risk to invest the money to build new theaters or re-open the old theaters after we get past COVID? Theater companies are not getting any bailout money from the government, unlike other areas of the economy. 

[CJohn]

I demand this thread title to be changed to THE FORMER BROS. THREAD

[TwoMisfits]

17 hours ago, Nova said:

I mean it brought me back to the forums for a bit 😝😝 

 

The crazy thing is that the rush to make this decision and announce it didn’t have to be rushed. It’s not like all their films were going to be available starting Jan 1st. They really could have waited and had discussions with people about this. With regards to people going to movie theaters again, not much was going to change between now and several months from now. Which is why I don’t see Disney making an announcement any which way about what their plans are...because they don’t have to at the moment. I think what disney might do and the smartest thing to do is play it by ear: see what the state of theater going is and have honest discussions with movie makers/talent about how they feel about their films going to Disney plus with the understanding that if they opt to not go to streaming no one knows when theater going will be normal again/what it means regarding box office potential and how much they can make back as a result (if they have a back end deal). 

 

WB just rushed this decision for no reason. 

 

Late to respond, but they had an amazing reason to rush - to get in on gift buying season.  Now was the time to lock in semi-annual and annual subscribers...

 

As the saying does - stores don't even hit the "black" for profit until Black Friday...and then the rest of the season is just huge gravy - that's how much people buy in Nov/Dec...so, they got in right at the right time...maybe not in the right way, but there was literally no way to time this better to pump sales.  If they still don't happen (especially with the WW Xmas release included as the "huge family activity" from the gift), they will never happen, no matter what they do...

Edited December 8, 2020 by TwoMisfits

[excel1]

7 minutes ago, YourMother the Edgelord said:

What would you do exactly?

 

1) End this insane HBO Max deal for everything aside from WW84

 

2) Adjust existing release schedule to the following:

 

2021

 

AUGUST 6TH

GODZILLA vs. KONG 

 

OCTOBER 1ST

SUICIDE SQUAD - ft THE BATMAN theatrical trailer *also debuts on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL*

 

NOVEMBER 12

ELVIS

 

DECEMBER 17

THE BATMAN - no way Spiderman makes this date 

 

2022

 

MARCH 4

DUNE

 

APRIL 29

THE MATRIX REBOOTED

 

JUNE 24

BLACK ADAM

 

GREEN LIGHT FOR FUTURE

-MAN OF STEEL 2+3 = back-to-back epic, series ending sequels for Henry Cavill version of character 

THE BATMAN vs. PHOENIX JOKER

-NOLAN TENTPOLE

-Harry Potter 9 FOR DECEMBER 2023

 

[filmlover]

17 minutes ago, jimisawesome said:

They have done nothing to save theaters pushing even low hanging projects that they could afford to sacrifice to the future (Free Guy). 

How do you promote a movie across the country at a time like this when states are closing up and the overall marketplace is uncertain because of it? 3-4 states being unlikely to close (and not even being the big markets like NY and LA) isn't enough. Theaters still open are currently mostly playing Christmas movies to fill their screens. Universal's lucky they already have that VOD deal that they can afford giving up a few projects they won't lose too much on as their biggest assets (Fast 9, Minions, Halloween, etc.) wait until we're in a much more stable environment.

[TwoMisfits]

34 minutes ago, jimisawesome said:

 

You would think given they have about 40% marketshare yet they have indicated they see Disney+ as their future.  They have done nothing to save theaters pushing even low hanging projects that they could afford to sacrifice to the future (Free Guy).  They have made no indication at all they are going to offer a bail/buy out to AMC or regional theaters.  They put Mulan and Soul on streaming before WB announced this plan.

I actually agree wholeheartedly with this...the one studio that has done nothing for theaters since the Covid crisis arrived is Disney.  I give them no pass at all on that - they are forcing the other studios to respond to both the deteriorating domestic theatrical market and the exploding domestic streaming market, both conditions they themselves are the key to pushing in 2020.

 

Disney could have given up some crap product and made a deal like Universal - they didn't.

They could have released a tentpole like WB - they didn't.

 

So, blame any studio you want for what's gonna happen to domestic theatrical in 2021, but if you do, include Disney, b/c they aren't blameless...heck, they even tried the PVOD strategy with Mulan to kill the theatrical market - the only reason that collapsed was b/c the consumer gave them the FU...not b/c they didn't try to kill domestic theatrical...

Edited December 8, 2020 by TwoMisfits

[WittyUsername]

20 minutes ago, excel1 said:

 

1) End this insane HBO Max deal for everything aside from WW84

 

2) Adjust existing release schedule to the following:

 

2021

 

AUGUST 6TH

GODZILLA vs. KONG 

 

OCTOBER 1ST

SUICIDE SQUAD - ft THE BATMAN theatrical trailer *also debuts on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL*

 

NOVEMBER 12

ELVIS

 

DECEMBER 17

THE BATMAN - no way Spiderman makes this date 

 

2022

 

MARCH 4

DUNE

 

APRIL 29

THE MATRIX REBOOTED

 

JUNE 24

BLACK ADAM

 

GREEN LIGHT FOR FUTURE

-MAN OF STEEL 2+3 = back-to-back epic, series ending sequels for Henry Cavill version of character 

THE BATMAN vs. PHOENIX JOKER

-NOLAN TENTPOLE

-Harry Potter 9 FOR DECEMBER 2023

 

Why are you so insistent on Batman going to December?

[jimisawesome]

3 minutes ago, filmlover said:

How do you promote a movie across the country at a time like this when states are closing up and the overall marketplace is uncertain because of it? 3-4 states being unlikely to close (and not even being the big markets like NY and LA) isn't enough. Theaters still open are currently mostly playing Christmas movies to fill their screens. Universal's lucky they already have that VOD deal that they can afford giving up a few projects they won't lose too much on as their biggest assets (Fast 9, Minions, Halloween, etc.) wait until we're in a much more stable environment.

 

To avoid talking past each other what do you think the next 12 months look like?  I ask because this post seems to imply that you think everything goes back to more or less normal on April 4th (or pick any other date in 2021).  I think that it is almost certain at this point that the best case is we end up losing only 10-20% of the theater locations and a very real chance we lose half or more over the next 6 months. 

 

If you think AMC and the rest can find a loan or white knight everything goes back to normal then sure it makes sense to delay to maximize money.

 

Now, I see it as the Feds are not going to save theaters, AMC has spent the year looking for a white knight with just a bit of help in July and nothing sense and the entire industry getting weaker not stronger.  That any cashflow into this business is better than no cashflow.   So yeah Fall Guy might be lucky to make 8 million dollars opening weekend and 20 overall but that is 8 million dollars flowing though the theaters right now that was not there yesterday.  That is 20 million to bridge the theaters until Christmas day. 

 

If someone does not do something now to keep AMC's lights on than Black Widow and Fast 9 are not making ---- come May anyways.  So yeah throw away a movie that can help right now but is not going to make much later on even in the absolute best case.  Everyone in Hollywood is looking for someone else to do the right thing and only WB has up until this point and now they are getting killed for it. 

[filmlover]

4 minutes ago, TwoMisfits said:

Disney could have given up some crap product and made a deal like Universal - they didn't.

They did give up some product.

 

[lab276]

The David Copperfield movie was pretty good.

[CaptainJackSparrow]

Didn't Disney have to release Fox films to theaters thanks to contracts? 

[jimisawesome]

23 minutes ago, excel1 said:

 

1) End this insane HBO Max deal for everything aside from WW84

 

2) Adjust existing release schedule to the following:

 

2021

 

AUGUST 6TH

GODZILLA vs. KONG 

 

OCTOBER 1ST

SUICIDE SQUAD - ft THE BATMAN theatrical trailer *also debuts on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL*

 

NOVEMBER 12

ELVIS

 

DECEMBER 17

THE BATMAN - no way Spiderman makes this date 

 

...

 

GREEN LIGHT FOR FUTURE

-MAN OF STEEL 2+3 = back-to-back epic, series ending sequels for Henry Cavill version of character 

THE BATMAN vs. PHOENIX JOKER

-NOLAN TENTPOLE

-Harry Potter 9 FOR DECEMBER 2023

 

 

How does AMC and Regal make it until August without product before this?  And how does WB make money on Suicide Squad and The Batman when AMC and Regal have to close a ton of locations in their reorganization or worse liquidation?   

 

A studio head should be fired on the spot if they green light a movie that costs over 150 right now until they see how the market plays out.

[filmlover]

One can't predict what the next 12 months has in store for certain but now that we have some sort of timeline as to when a vaccine will be available (which wasn't the case in September), there's at least some light at the end of the tunnel. But mainly the uncertainty of the marketplace is why no one has released anything except for the Universal cast-offs (and once theaters have been legally ordered to close there's nothing you can do). They need more of a reason to put out a movie in the current climate than "Ron DeShitis won't close up Florida theaters again."

[jimisawesome]

9 minutes ago, filmlover said:

One can't predict what the next 12 months has in store for certain but now that we have some sort of timeline as to when a vaccine will be available (which wasn't the case in September), there's at least some light at the end of the tunnel. But mainly the uncertainty of the marketplace is why no one has released anything except for the Universal cast-offs (and once theaters have been legally ordered to close there's nothing you can do). They need more of a reason to put out a movie in the current climate than "Ron DeShitis won't close up Florida theaters again."

Yes the have a major reason that has nothing to do with Ron Desantos its AMC will die in January if they don't have cash now.  AMC dies than none of the movies that the studio saved for next summer are making money in theaters.  Forget about it if Regal follows.  This happening is not looking 12 months into the future, its not even looking 12 weeks in the future at this point, there is now a better than not chance of AMC filling bankruptcy within the next 7 weeks.

[excel1]

46 minutes ago, WittyUsername said:

Why are you so insistent on Batman going to December?

 

Big $$$$$, would challenge DA FORCE AWAKENS

 

39 minutes ago, jimisawesome said:

 

How does AMC and Regal make it until August without product before this?  And how does WB make money on Suicide Squad and The Batman when AMC and Regal have to close a ton of locations in their reorganization or worse liquidation?   

 

A studio head should be fired on the spot if they green light a movie that costs over 150 right now until they see how the market plays out.

 

Bankruptcy does not equal closure. Someone will buy the theaters for pennies and reopen them just in time for market to normalize. Be real. 

Edited December 8, 2020 by excel1

[filmlover]

It's likely there will be theater closures in all of this (in fact, there already have been) but the biggest casualties will be the lower-grossing ones of the big chains and (most unfortunately) independent ones.

[redfirebird2008]

9 minutes ago, excel1 said:

 

 

Bankruptcy does not equal closure. Someone will buy the theaters for pennies and reopen them just in time for market to normalize. Be real. 

 

Long term it's not a very good investment for the typical banker type of people who might do that. COVID has sped up the inevitable reality that was probably gonna happen in 10 years. Movie theaters might end up more like the current market for Blu-ray or vinyl music. Drop in the bucket compared to the streaming market.