Guardian: Soderbergh’s revolution
Steven Soderbergh has signed a deal with the billionaire entrepreneurs Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner that heralds a potential revolution in the way films are released.
The former Broadcast.com web radio founders and the Oscar winning director of Traffic will create a series of six pictures shot by Soderbergh on high-definition video that will be released simultaneously in theatres, on DVD and television.
This is a radical departure from the traditional way movies are released which typically will give a lead time to the theatrical release so as to maximise profits through having income streams that are never in direct competition.
I’m not sure how successful a venture this will be and I’m certain it will not effect the way future movies will be released as movie distributors are very stuck in their ways and loathe to any kind of change.
I think for example that given the globalising effect the internet has had that not having simultaneous worldwide releases of movies in theatres only serves the pirates. Movie pirates in foreign countries will fulfill the instant demand for a movie that is created when it is released in the US with all the associated promotion and news but the official release in that country isn’t for many months afterwards.
Tags: movies
