During the pandemic, Hollywood threw almost its entire old distribution model overboard. Theatre releases dwindled, streaming grew, and many distributors began treating theatres as if they were a thing of the past. But filmmakers have fought back tenaciously, and audiences in many places have, at least in part, found their way back to theatres, even if it's hardly on the same scale as before.
Universal now wants to support this movement, and is guaranteeing that all new films from the company will be allowed at least five weekends in theatres before being released digitally. Starting next year, this will be extended further to seven weekends—that is, approximately 45 days—of exclusivity for theatres. Whether this is a step in the right direction or not depends, of course, on who you ask.
A spokesperson for Universal said:
"Our windowing strategy has always been designed to evolve with the marketplace, but we firmly believe in the primacy of theatrical exclusivity and working closely with our exhibition partners to support a healthy, sustainable theatrical ecosystem,"
This is also a rather interesting change of course from Universal in particular. The studio was, in fact, one of the most aggressive players when the pandemic struck. It was one of the first to start experimenting with faster digital releases. Which, of course, drew heavy criticism from theatre chains that saw their revenue disappear.
But now the idea is to try to rebuild what once was, and restore some of the movie theatre's role as the (at least on paper) ultimate place to enjoy a film.
What do you think about this—good or bad?