Marcus CEO Urges Apple To Recall “Lines Around The Block” For IPhones As He Touts Theatrical Window
05.05.2022 - 22:57
/ deadline.com
Greg Marcus said first-quarter sales for Marcus Theatres surged from a year ago; that the film slate, while improving, is still not back to where it was pre-Covid; and that while studios have committed to theatrical windows, big streamers have not despite — in his view — overwhelming arguments for cinematic release.
“We talk to all these guys. We are in discussions with them. We are figuring out how to work with their models. I don’t have anything to report today on this phone call. We are open to playing their films,” he said during Q&A with Wall Street analysts post earnings.
“It was never lost on me that, on day one, when Apple would release a new iPhone, people were lined up for blocks. They created the demand and restricted the supply and it worked so beautifully to their advantage,” Marcus said.
Shortchanging theatrical leaves money on the table, especially for expensive IP. Piracy, that explodes the minute a pristine digital copy is available, seems to nail the argument, he said.
Meanwhile, there’s optimism on the renewed flow of films that are available for big screens, with windows. “We are not back to where we were from a content perspective yet,” Marcus said, citing an ongoing lag from when production slowed to a crawl in 2020. “This is not a straight line. The path will be bumpy. But the trend is really positive.” On all fronts, including windows.
He insists the real battle is between streaming and linear TV. “Theater is a differentiated experience” and people are eager to get out of the house.
“In the end [studios/streamers] are going to want to maximize revenue from their IP because they are in very competitive segments.” Then when a film hits a streamer, exclusively, “it will have that patina, that halo of being