HBO Max launched

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

I have no dog in this fight, but I think the money people at Warner Media are being more realistic about the near future than the film industry people. Warner Media looks at the mess the United States is in and doesn't see a clear path to victory for the theatrical distribution model. The people in the film industry just want things to be how they'd like them to be and they hope so much that they think if they clap long enough Tinkerbell will come back to life. But Tink died from the virus and she's not coming back.

This isn’t remotely true. Nearly every region that got Covid under control got the theater industry back to pre Covid numbers. Contrary to a vocal minority on the internet, people like theaters.

This is about WB not wanting to wait to get revenue and the fact that HBO Max isn’t going so hot

[SUPERECWFAN1]

It’s likely not permanent. Most studios don’t own a streaming service nor will they a successful one. Theaters will always be economically better for studios. WB risks boxing themselves into bad negotiations when things get back to normal.

WB also didn’t run this by employees or partners and it effected their pay

This isn’t remotely true. Nearly every region that got Covid under control got the theater industry back to pre Covid numbers. Contrary to a vocal minority on the internet, people like theaters.

This is about WB not wanting to wait to get revenue and the fact that HBO Max isn’t going so hot

We have to stop calling this a WB decision. This is an AT&T decision made for the fact they are in massive debt and a merger should have never ever been approved. Not with what were seeing. They almost sold their profitable game division as big releases were ahead for no real damn reason.

[ComicJunkie21]

We have to stop calling this a WB decision. This is an AT&T decision made for the fact they are in massive debt and a merger should have never ever been approved. Not with what were seeing. They almost sold their profitable game division as big releases were ahead for no real damn reason.

This!!! It is easy to forget actually. This merger should have never taken place and now ATT doesn't know what to do with it.

[Maestro 216]

This isn’t remotely true. Nearly every region that got Covid under control got the theater industry back to pre Covid numbers. Contrary to a vocal minority on the internet, people like theaters.

This is about WB not wanting to wait to get revenue and the fact that HBO Max isn’t going so hot

Those aren't the US, and we easily fubar'd this worse than other countries.

[Gaastra]

So not only the directors guild but the actors and writers guild may ban wb if they put the films on hbo max also!

So if this happens no actors, writers or directors in the guild working for wb!

[Midvillian1322]

Ok so regardless of what happens with WBs. What price point would a streaming service need to justify dropping blockbuster 3-4 times a year. Just curious if there been talks of a monthly price that could justify 3-4 200m budget films a year on a streaming service. I.E Marvel Studios had to movie to Disney+ 100% because theaters never recover. Just curious what people think a doable price point would be.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Ok so regardless of what happens with WBs. What price point would a streaming service need to justify dropping blockbuster 3-4 times a year. Just curious if there been talks of a monthly price that could justify 3-4 200m budget films a year on a streaming service. I.E Marvel Studios had to movie to Disney+ 100% because theaters never recover. Just curious what people think a doable price point would be.

It would be at Netflix numbers to justify it subscriber wise to make it work. Thus far HBO Max has a subscriber count of 28-38 million right now. Netflix spent $17+ billion on original content in 2019. It has over 160+ million subscribers as well and earned $20+ billion dollars in revenue in 2019.

Disney itself didn't want to throw Mulan on the streaming service but they had to push the movie out in streaming and release. The result was Mulan as a whole tanked badly. Overseas box office wise it died a quick death in China. Streaming wise it opening week did what Screenrant claims was $35.5 million in people paying to watch it at $29.95 stream wise. Disney+ had a nice uptick in subscribers that month for it and that $35.5 million went directly to Disney for sure. But the non theater release likely hurt it a lot.

And Mulan didn't make its $200 million budget back.

[Killerbee911]

Ok so regardless of what happens with WBs. What price point would a streaming service need to justify dropping blockbuster 3-4 times a year. Just curious if there been talks of a monthly price that could justify 3-4 200m budget films a year on a streaming service. I.E Marvel Studios had to movie to Disney+ 100% because theaters never recover. Just curious what people think a doable price point would be.

Anyways If I had to guess 14.99 is safe number for monthly amount they need to probably get around 100 million subs to feel a level of comfort. But obviously the number is lessen by how long the movie theater window and how much block buster recoup in new world of short Theater runs/Vods.

[Gaastra]

Disney releasing raya and the dragon to disney plus as well as theatres! Unlike hbo max you have to pay $30 to see it or go to the movies. No other theatre disney movie getting access so far.

[Gaastra]

CAA sent this letter to wb.

Jason,

The blind side Warner Brothers announcement Thursday was entirely unacceptable to CAA and to the clients we represent.

So we are clear about what is unacceptable:

You made a decision to release our clients’ movies in an unprecedented manner – a simultaneous release theatrically and on your own streaming service, HBO Max – without consideration of our clients’ desires or contractual rights. It plainly violates the rights of a number of our clients who hold approval rights over distribution plans and streaming selections.

Your determination to release our clients’ movies on HBO Max at the same time as in theaters effectively torpedoes the theatrical release and dramatically harms our clients’ ability to earn backend compensation, which they negotiated for, expected, and have every right to protect.

You chose to release our clients’ movies on your own streaming service without any input from or discussion with our clients and you made no effort to negotiate with or otherwise seek out market-rate deals with other streaming services. This is the epitome of a self-interested corporate maneuver intended to benefit your company while wreaking havoc on the industry and ignoring and greatly damaging our clients’ creative and financial interests.

To the extent you negotiated a license fee with HBO Max, which remains unclear, we reject that entirely as that is the job of their representation and is, in many cases, in violation of our clients’ approval rights.

You made a decision about movie distribution based on your opinion about the potential theatrical marketplace when it is impossible to predict that marketplace through the end of 2021. Indeed, it ignores the very real possibility of a vaccine in Q1 or Q2 2021 that would likely result in a reopened theatrical market with robust demand.

Without any apparent basis, you have taken a contradictory position for the domestic and international marketplaces, seemingly with the belief that the international marketplace is safe and strong enough for our clients’ movies. In doing so, you have ignored the reality that the compromised domestic theatrical release will hurt films’ international performance, will hurt all of the downstream distribution channels, and therefore will hurt our clients.

You unilaterally determined a value for our clients and their work to benefit the long-term prospects of HBO Max and the finances of AT&T, a choice that our clients did not make and a value decision that is out of sync with the marketplace and other streaming platforms.

The bottom line is that you are trying to take advantage of our clients to benefit your company. Neither we nor our clients will stand for it.

Worst of all, in a business of relationships, you violated trust and boundary.

In doing so, Warner Brothers has made a statement that relationships with artists and their representatives are not important to the studio.

The leadership of CAA has worked with Warner Brothers for nearly four full decades. At one point, Warner Brothers took pride in the studio leaders’ relationships with artists. Today, the only scarce resource in our business is talent. To insult talent this way is to redefine your company in a way that is a major setback.

We reject the deals you have made with yourself on behalf of our clients.

Our clients’ contractual rights will be enforced.

Our lines of communication are open, but our point of view is clear.

CAA Leadership Group

https://deadline.com/2020/12/caa-ric...ts-1234654147/

Also--

Reports have the Directors Guild of America also having sent a letter stating it’s upset.

[ComicJunkie21]

CAA sent this letter to wb.



https://deadline.com/2020/12/caa-ric...ts-1234654147/

Also--

Let me microwave the popcorn this is heating up.

[numberthirty]

Yikes.

Today was an all around tough day to be HBOMax.

[luprki]

Ultimately, the fans will decide.Two questions will determine the outcome.
1. Will enough people be willing to go back to the theaters?
2. Will the streaming service get enough monthly subscribers?

[numberthirty]

Ultimately, the fans will decide.Two questions will determine the outcome.
1. Will enough people be willing to go back to the theaters?
2. Will the streaming service get enough monthly subscribers?

Not "Get..."

"Keep..."

[numberthirty]

Because they will seriously need to keep every single one they get from the looks of the bridges they are burning.