88 days. That’s all it is taking for Paramount to release G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra and The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard on DVD and Blu-ray. These two flicks came out in August and will be released a week apart, (Nov 3rd and 10th) each exactly 88 days after their theatrical premiere. THR reports that a certain group of people aren’t too happy about this decision. National Association of Theatre Owners president John Fithian said, “Our members are ballistic”. Fox usually has the tightest release window with an average of 122 days, or 4 months from theatrical to DVD release. Paramount usually has the second tightest window, with 123 days. The average among all studios is 129 days, with Universal having the highest at 141 days. This has NATO worried because a repeated pattern of these early releases could hurt the box office of these films.
Cineplex chief Ellis Jacob said:
I view the studios as our partners, but it seems like the rules of the game are changing. That’s a concern. We at Cineplex have invested a lot of money in our theaters and in new technology such as 3D. So when something like this happens, it creates an issue with people from the standpoint of entertainment choices. If a guest of ours knows a movie is going to be on DVD in less than 90 days, then they know that if they miss it they can catch it on DVD not too much later.
Regal Entertainment president Greg Dunn exclaimed:
Maintaining the appropriate timeline or windows between the theatrical release and ancillary markets is critical and essential for the overall good of the film industry. If the existing windows policies were significantly adjusted, we would aggressively respond — as we would toward any policy that would negatively impact the industry.
I’ve been noticing this quick release turnaround a lot lately. Most recently with this week’s The Proposal release. That came out in June and already being released. There are many examples that go against the grain though. Star Trek came out early May and not getting a release until mid-November. I wonder if there is a way they can come to an agreement and if the studios decide to push a movie out on DVD earlier then can give theaters some of the profit. I don’t see that happening though. With streaming and on demand technologies growing, the problem is only going to get worse.
What do you think about this early release schedule? Is it hurting the industry? What are some alternatives?