Ann Sarnoff, head of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, has given a lengthy interview with Variety this week as her studio’s new film “Tenet” hits cinemas in the United States – the first blockbuster on the big screen in six months.
During the interview she touched upon numerous topics including the changes to the theatrical experience, the rise of premium VOD releases and Universal Pictures’ groundbreaking pact with AMC Entertainment.
That deal greatly reduces the window of theatrical exclusivity on some titles to as little as three weeks, whilst at the same time allowing cinemas to share in some of the VOD revenue. Sarnoff reveals Warners has been “in discussions” with exhibitors to gain more flexibility in theatrical windowing.
She adds that the studio learned a lot with the distribution of the CG animated family film “Scoob!” which first went to premium VOD and then to WarnerMedia’s streamer HBO Max:
“The exhibitors are interested in engaging with us on that topic. It goes back to the idea of really putting the audience first. Some movies attract audiences to theaters for long runs and others do not. Having flexibility in the model is good for all of us. If we can collectively make money by changing windows than we will all make more, and we can make better movies and put that money back into the business.”
Sarnoff also spoke with Deadline about Disney pushing out “Mulan” this weekend via its ‘Premier Access’ service which is a variation of PVOD and allows people to access the film early on the Disney+ service for a set fee:
“I don’t know if I completely understand the strategy, but anyone who is releasing movies right now, I’m rooting for them. It is a different strategy that they’re taking in the U.S. versus international, and we’ll watch closely to see how they do. I think the silver lining of COVID is that we’re all experimenting in different ways and watching closely what the other does.
Hopefully as an industry we’re stronger having had multiple experiences… I’m bullish that all the models will survive and that theatrical will definitely be a huge part of our go-forward strategy, but I think there will be more flexibility in the windows going forward; the circuits have been willing to engage in that.”
Sarnoff also commented on the news earlier today of the shutdown on “The Batman” just three days after it resumed filming following leading man Robert Pattinson’s COVID-19 diagnosis. She says: “We’re still in the middle of investigating what is the situation. We’re pausing temporarily for now until we have more information, but we have all the protocols set up to do contact tracing and hopefully get back up into production very soon.”