{"id":208674,"date":"2019-04-06T05:55:15","date_gmt":"2019-04-06T09:55:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=208674"},"modified":"2019-04-06T05:55:15","modified_gmt":"2019-04-06T09:55:15","slug":"from-disney-to-netflix-the-big-takeaways-from-cinemacon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/04\/06\/from-disney-to-netflix-the-big-takeaways-from-cinemacon\/","title":{"rendered":"From Disney to Netflix, the big takeaways from CinemaCon"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The movie industry has returned to their day jobs Friday after four days of schmoozing, deal-making and watching movie studios and stars sell the best of what’s to come to theatres at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. (File Photo<\/a>: @CinemaCon\/Twitter<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LAS VEGAS \u2013 The movie industry has returned to their day jobs Friday after four days of schmoozing, deal-making and watching movie studios and stars sell the best of what’s to come to theatres at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

It’s a time of great change in the movie business. The film distribution landscape has been irrevocably altered with Disney’s still-fresh acquisition of Fox, the competition from streaming is only getting more intense, and, even though last year was a record one at the box office, this year isn’t off to the best start.<\/p>\n

Publicly at least, the big Hollywood studios were unwavering in their message: We’re committed to the theatrical experience.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the annual gathering of theatre owners and distributors.<\/p>\n

THE STREAMING ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM<\/p>\n

Netflix has never attended CinemaCon, nor has the streaming giant even asked to be part of the splashy product showcase. Yet veiled, and sometimes explicit, references seem to come up in every presentation every year to the looming competitor that’s seen as a threat to the theatre-going experience. Helen Mirren even said, \u201cI love Netflix, but (expletive) Netflix.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year was a little different since Netflix recently joined the Motion Picture Association of America.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are all stronger advocates for creativity and the entertainment business when we are working together. All of us,\u201d said MPAA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin .<\/p>\n

AMC CEO Adam Aron even said that he’s even open to Netflix playing in his company’s theatres, but only if they play by the same rules as all the other studios in Hollywood.<\/p>\n

THE FOOTAGE THAT HIT<\/p>\n

Hollywood studios spend a lot of money to bring stars like Charlize Theron, Jim Carrey and Arnold Schwarzenegger , trailers and footage to Las Vegas, but the downside is that no matter how charming or funny they are, only a few really ever manage to break out in a big way. Paramount’s Elton John musical \u201cRocketman\u201d got everyone jazzed and singing along to his classic hits, while teasing the high-highs and low-lows of rock star life.<\/p>\n

Universal’s \u201cYesterday,\u201d about a struggling musician who wakes up from an accident to find that he’s the only one in the world who knows the music of The Beatles (and uses it to his advantage) also looks like it will be a fun summer charmer.<\/p>\n

Disney brought out the classic \u201ceverything the light touches\u201d scene from its CG\/live-action adaption of \u201cThe Lion King.\u201d The stunning landscapes and life-like fur shown of Simba and his father gazing out at the sunrise had many seeing dollar signs in their future. And Lionsgate brought out a late-game charmer in \u201cStar Wars: The Last Jedi\u201d director Rian Johnson’s next film, \u201cKnives Out,\u201d a sharply-written Agatha Christie-style whodunit about a wealthy family whose patriarch turns up dead.<\/p>\n

DISNEY SHOWS OFF ITS NEW TOY: FOX<\/p>\n

The Disney\/Fox deal may have been an arranged marriage, at least for the remaining executives at 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight, but everyone put on a good face for the theatre owners while also referencing the magnitude of the change. It was a little strange to see a montage featuring \u201cAvatar,\u201d \u201cTitanic,\u201d \u201cHidden Figures,\u201d \u201cToy Story,\u201d \u201cFrozen\u201d and the \u201cAvengers\u201d all together. But the 2019 Fox releases have been officially blended in with the Disney releases (and some will have to move as they currently occupy the same release date).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that together we will be more than the sum of our parts,\u201d said Alan Horn, the Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios.<\/p>\n

BUSINESS WAS UP, BUT…<\/p>\n

Did you hear? 2018 was a record year at the box office with $11.9 billion in ticket sales. (Of course you did, because every studio and trade association chief made sure to mention it over and over again this week.) And yet this year the box office is still down nearly 16%. Privately, some smaller theatre owners grumbled about the lousy first three months of 2019 in movies for their bottom lines, even with hits like \u201cUs\u201d and \u201cCaptain Marvel.\u201d \u201cAvengers: Endgame,\u201d is coming after all. But it takes more than one mega-hit to save an entire industry.<\/p>\n

DIVERSITY BRINGS AUDIENCES<\/p>\n

For an industry propped up by the successes of superhero films, every studio seemed keen to remind theatre owners that they don’t just make those kinds of movies. And indeed, the message remains that diversity sells. Last year, when films like \u201cBlack Panther\u201d and \u201cCrazy Rich Asians\u201d became massive hits, ticket-buyers were younger and more diverse than ever.<\/p>\n

It’s fitting, then, that the convention brought out \u201cCrazy Rich Asians\u201d director Jon M. Chu to talk about why when faced with a choice between a streaming release or a theatrical one for his film, he chose the theatre.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weekend became a can’t miss cultural event. This story would not have happened without the theatrical experience…we made movie stars,\u201d Chu said. \u201cIn a time when we need shared experiences more than other to help see each other, (cinema) can be the most powerful potent tool.\u201d<\/p>\n

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