Podcast #990: Shrinking Movie Release Windows and the Future of Cinemas

On this week’s show we run down the top ten rentals for the week and discuss release windows for movies. Does the shrinking window spell doom for movie theaters? We also read your emails and cover the news of the week.

Top 10 Rentals for Week Ended 2-21-21

1  Greenland (6.4) 2/9/21 Universal/STX 

2 Let Him Go (6.7) 2/2/21 Universal

3 Freaky (6.3) 2/9/21 Universal 

4 Horizon Line (4.7) 2/16/21 Universal 

5 Shadow in the Cloud (4.8)** 2/2/21 Vertical 

6 Breach (3.7) 2/2/21 Paramount 

7 Come Play (5.7) 1/26/21 Universal

8 The War With Grandpa (5.6) 12/22/20 Universal 

9 Honest Thief (6.0) 12/29/20 Universal 

10 The Stand-In (4.5)* 2/9/21 Paramount 

*Early Release

**Redbox exclusive

For reference The imdb ratings for some popular movies are as follows:

• Top Gun 6.9
• Back to the Future 8.5
• The Magnificent Seven (2016) 6.9
• The Magnificent Seven (1960) 7.7
• Pulp Fiction 8.8
• The Dark Knight 9.0

How long should movies be in theaters before streaming? Hollywood is trying to find out.

With the movie business upended during the pandemic and tilting more towards streaming than cineplexes, Hollywood is rethinking its business model. One significant debate is how long a gap there should be between a film's theatrical release and its availability on streaming services. On Wednesday, ViacomCBS announced that "A Quiet Place Part 2" will stream on its new service, Paramount+, just 30 to 45 days after being released in theaters. Full article here…