Netflix and Weinstein Company have made a bold move. They’re partnering to bring the Crouching Tiger: Hidden Dragon sequel straight to Netflix on the day of theatrical release when that rolls around next year.
Unsurprisingly, Theater companies (namely Cinemark and Regal Cinemas) have not been responding kindly to this idea and are lambasting it. Essentially, they believe that a magnificent film like this should not be debuted on a screen that is three stories tall (IMAX) while also being available to see, day one, on a smart phone. They likely feel that choice is ridiculous.
Naturally, this is a knee jerk reaction, because the possible hit to their bottom lines is absolutely unacceptable. Theaters have already been struggling because of competition with home theater enthusiasts and digital content providers. Many theater companies have to resort to entire remodels, heavy discount periods during the week, and brand refreshers just to get people to come back to watch something on the big screen.
Do you still find yourself wanting to pay twelve dollars to go see a film and have the classic cinema experience? Or would you rather sit at home with your 50″ TV and 7.1 surround sound while streaming a day-one movie at 1080p over your 50-meg connection (and munching on free snacks)?
A thank you goes out to Cinema Blend for this story.
