As we wait for cinemas to reopen following England’s second lockdown, I can’t help wondering what their future will be. Even before we entered the second lockdown in November Cineworld, the UK’s largest and the world’s second largest chain, closed all their venues until further notice. So what next? To predict that we may have to look back to the last big change to cinemas.
In the early days of cinema in the US, the major film studios (Warner Brothers, RKO, Fox, MGM, and Paramount) owned their own theatres that exclusively screened their films. Films that were produced by writers, directors, technicians, and actors who were under contract to the studios, They also owned the laboratories, that processed the film and created the prints. To put is it simply the studios were vertically integrated.
The Paramount Decree as it became known was an antitrust case correctly titled United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., 334 U.S. 131 (1948). The case changed the face of film exacerbation in the US, ripples of its effects can be felt all over the world to this day. The ruling forced the separation of motion picture production and exhibition companies. This had the desired effect of increasing the number of both independent productions, and independent cinema’s/movie theatres. As the Hollywood studio system began to breakdown it clearly did its job, and was responsible for the end of what is known as golden age of cinema. There was also a more far reaching unexpected result; independent cinema’s free to choose their own programming started to show more international and independent “art” movies. This was the first steps towards the weakening of the Motion Picture Production Code, the eventual emergence of New Hollywood. So why is this important now? The antitrust decrees had no expiration dates, however, last year The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division began a review of the “Paramount decrees” and decreed that as of this summer they would enter a “two-year sunset period” followed by the termination of the decrees in 2022. To quote the great Sam Cooke: “a change gonna come“.
The way we consume movies (and television) at home has changed dramatically in recent years. Just a few years ago here in the UK, a film would be screened in cinema’s, around six months later it would be made available to rent (and sometimes buy) on video, then a few years later be screened on free to air TV. The first major change to this came with satellite and cable TV channels who began showing films after the video release but before they made it to free to air TV. Fast forward through a few changes to cable/satellite TV and we have Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video as well as countless other streaming services. They started screening movies and TV shows, but before long they were making their own content. Now Disney has joined the party and will soon be the only place to stream Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney Content, not to mention the back catalogue of the recently acquired 20th Century-Fox (now know as 20th Century Studios).
Film critic Mark Kermode has long advocated so-called “day-and-date” release, a simultaneous release across multiple platforms. The concept has been used, mainly by independent films during the disruption caused by Covid 19. Although the process is likely to reduce film piracy, most cinema chains have resisted the concept fearing it will reduce attendances. This is most likely true, but given the state of the industry, all bets are off. Who is most likely to support day-and-date release? Simply the people who own more than one platform. Will Amazon, Netflix, or Disney move into cinema ownership? Given the money they all have, they are the obvious choices. What are the consequences of companies like this owning cinema’s? One notable point, is that there is now a further level of integration with streaming offering a new way method of distribution unimaginable in the Golden Age. On the flipside, filmmakers are no longer tied to a studio (we can thank Olivia de Havilland for that, but that’s another story). There are potential advantages. My biggest problem with Netflix in particular is their reluctance to show films in cinemas. If they owned the establishments and were pocketing the box-office, it may encourage them to screen films where they belong, on the largest possible screen. There is another possibility; we are all suffering from platform fatigue! With an ever increasing number of streaming platforms most of us have to pick and choose which we subscribe to. Cineworld Unlimited and Odeon Limitless offer unlimited movies for a month subscription. Is there room for a joint home, and theatrical subscription? This would certainly be an incentive!
There are certain to be a few twists and turns before these strange times are over, I just hope there are still plenty of cinemas left when the dust settles.
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