Is the abbreviated theatrical window now the new norm? We’ve seen Christophe Nolan demand a full 100-day theatrical window for his films, and it has powered his very public breakup with Warner Bros after nearly two decades. Yet, while Universal has welcomed him to the fold with his asked-for theatrical window intact, we’ve also seen them warn that this will not happen for other releases from the studio. Entertainment attorney and theatrical industry expert, Brandon Blake, has more.
A ‘field of one’
To date, Universal has been using a 17 to the 31-day theatrical window in the pandemic and post-pandemic era. Nolan’s promised 90 to 120-day window beats even pre-pandemic standards, where 90-day windows were the gold standard. Even Universal’s shortened theatrical windows, however, have been notably generous and supportive of the exhibition industry in a time where many studios have gone for near-simultaneous streaming releases and fuzzy ‘wait-and-see’ tactics.
This week, we heard Donna Langley, Universal’s Chairman, speak out on the matter. Despite the concession given to Nolan, they view the shortened theatrical window as one of the ‘new rules’ of Hollywood.
A new norm
While she wouldn’t be led to give a specific timeframe, she was quick to stress that shorter theater exclusivity is both practical and makes sense for the streaming era. Currently, we seem to be hovering around 30-day to 45-day windows, but we will no doubt see this evolve over time.
Christopher Nolan, of course, had a very public breakup with Warner Bros last December when it became clear they wouldn’t shift from simultaneous debuts. As one of the most outspoken champions of the theater experience, there’s little wonder this quickly became an untenable situation for him. Nor can we be surprised that Universal, who has (as we mentioned) given the greatest concessions through the recovery period regarding theatrical exclusivity, would be a top new choice for him.
Not that we should forget they were the first to announce they would use hybrid release strategies back in April 2020, leading to the notorious boycott of Universal’s movies by AMC theaters. In fact, it’s this very conflict that led to the guarantee of a minimum 17-day theatrical window for Universal films in the first place. All the same, they’ve stuck to the deal throughout their 2021 slate, so the support is understandable.
The industry has entered a time of flux. We’re seeing intense scrutiny of how both crew and talent are compensated in the new streaming era. Theatrical recovery has been stronger than predicted, but will still need a lot of time to get back to pre-pandemic levels. And streaming has become an anchor of the industry. Langley was quick to point out that there is a ‘wave of change’ underway, and what is the norm right now might not be the norm a year from now.
Is she correct that abbreviated theatrical windows are here to stay, however? In all likelihood, yes. Where the ‘new normal’ will sit, however, remains to be seen.
