Strange World

[Ben]

Ah…makes more sense!

[gaastra]

Disney pulls the film from france. Will put it on disney plus only there in protest of frances "unfair" movie rules of giving films full theatre releases before you can shove them to streaming.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/d ... cid=msnews

[Daniel]

Cough.

[gaastra]

Oops. Sorry.

[Farerb]

As far as I could see, many French people are actually on Disney's side.

[Farerb]

Reading more about this law, I understand why French people are on Disney's side.
It basically means that the film comes out in theaters.
After 4 months Disney can sell it on physical.
After 13 months they can put it on Disney+, but only for 5 months.
After that, it is removed from Disney+, and is shown exclusively on French channels for 14 months.
Only after that Disney can do whatever they want with the film.

So basically the French government thinks that people consume media as if they're still in the 90's. And a government ordering a studio what to do with its own property is wrong.

[Bill1978]

I mean France is in the EU where they've just announced that all phones must have the same type of USB port, so it's not like the people of France haven't been exposed to crazy requirements.

I'm with Ben (I think it was him). Disney got a bit cocky with streaming during the pandemic and think that's how people want to watch their entertainment, totally forgetting people were watching streamers because they basically had no choice. Now that life is back to 'normal' Disney is trying to manipulate how we consume our movies and from the sounds of it aren't happy with being told 'No, you can't do that'. In the end it's Disney's choice with what they do with their movies, but don't whinge when you don't want to play by the same rules everybody else is playing by because you just want your money quicker and more of a share of the profits.

I'm interested in this movie and happy to see on big screen, although it is giving me major Atlantis vibes - large cast exploring a world with whacky creatures and a trailer with no real plot.

[Ben]

Yeah, that was me.

Okay, so sure France has stricter rules regarding film releases, but what I like is that this preserves the big screen experience as something special, which is kind of isn’t in the rest of the world now. Whatever else, the French really do love — and respect — and are serious about their movies, and have always done whatever they can to present them as "art", or at least in the special environment of a cinema (a French word!).

Obviously I get that streaming has changed things, for good or bad, and that different films may now have different "requirements", but countries insisting on what studios do with their releases is nothing new: after WWII, many struggling countries demanded that film profits made in war-torn countries be retained and spent by those companies *in* those countries, which is why Walt set up a UK production arm in the first place.

Moreover in this case, I just don’t get Disney's grumbling when surely literally *every* other movie they have released in France has been subject to the same process? What makes Strange World any different?

[Farerb]

And if the law was only about the four month window, then I would have agreed too. Even though the way they make and market films nowadays is mostly for instant consumption, no one goes to see a film four months after it was released anymore, maybe except 10 people. You can even see this with MCU films and their big second weekend drop. Anyone who truly wants to see the film sees it in the first two-three weeks, and those are the times the film usually makes most of its gross, after that it's negligible.

[gaastra]

no one goes to see a film four months after it was released anymore, maybe except 10 people.

No way home, sonic 2 and dr strange are still in our theatre. Someone is going to see them.

Sorry to me disney is the bad guy here. You can't wait 4 freaking months? Plus you screw the theatres owners. People today are so spoiled. It was 6 months when i was a kid or in ets case 10 years!

[Farerb]

I wonder if people in the 80's and 90's also said those things back then VHS became a thing and movies were released after 6 months to a year instead of being rereleased in theaters every decade.

I'm sorry but times are changing and with it habit change, you either adapt or get left behind and complain. When people started using airplanes, I'm sure there were people who were concerned that it screws shipping companies, and I'm sure there are many examples of technology evolving and making things obsolete (like newspapers and the internet).

The theatrical experience, for me at least, isn't what it used to be, even 10 years ago. Most of the films are not prestigious anymore, they are basically video games and the audience is mostly kids or teenagers who make noise all the time, screens are either old or dirty, seats are not comfortable, etc... when at home you can have a screen larger than 85 inch, a comfortable couch, a delicious dinner and no one to bother you during the film.

By the way, here's the French forum if anyone is interested in reading their perspective:
https://www.disneycentralplaza.com/t650 ... 22#3719775

[gaastra]

In some cases i see a early release. If a film bombed then it's not making theatres money. Yeah that can get a early release but if it's making money then wait. Everything at once delayed it's home release due to making money at the box office.

Also many still love going to theatres. Tom cruise "only in theatres" message in front of top gun got standing ovaition in some theatres! Theatres have been around over 100 years and survived more then one great depression, tv, cable, vhs, dvd and netflix. (all were said were going to "kill" theatres.)

Studios like disney may be trying their hardest to kill it to cash in on the streaming craze but it's still going. Top gun shows that.

[Ben]

And, as Netflix is showing, the streaming bubble isn’t as tough as some thought (er, AOL, anyone?) and will eventually burst, if it isn’t slowing losing air already, as people weigh up heating their homes, filling their cars with gas, or spending on an OTT video service when they probably already have a ton of entertainment at home already.

Or they could, y'know, make going to see a movie a special thing again…

[James]

...Moreover in this case, I just don’t get Disney's grumbling when surely literally *every* other movie they have released in France has been subject to the same process? What makes Strange World any different?

It's all complicated, but if I'm reading it right I think Disney is saying that when they make a movie, they have to go through all that rigmarole French laws require and wait to get their own movies back. Netflix, however, has gotten a special deal that will see them get their own movies back sooner than anyone else.

So what Disney is balking at is that if France is trying to protect "theatrical cinema", why is a company that basically does not release any of their films in actual theaters getting a better deal than a company who does?

Disney's protest here is to release their next big movie like Netflix would -- not on the big screen.

[Farerb]

Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union and Lucy Liu join the cast of Strange World and will play Jaeger Clade, Ethan Clade, Meridian Clade and Callisto Mal respectively!
It was confirmed in Annecy (via clips from the film) that the character of Ethan Clade will be the first openly LGBT character in a Disney Animation production.