Leave it to Sony chief executive officer Tom Rothman to let the entertainment industry know that he was right and the streaming video crows were wrong – and with authority.
Rothman, speaking at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nev. this week, reinforced Sony’s commitment to big theatrical releases with a bold statement on the movie industry and Sony’s pivotal role in it.
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“For the past three years, as the punditocracy pissed on your business, we at Sony held fast. We were the only major studio devoted entirely to theatrical,” said Rothman, to great fanfare from the audience of U.S. theater owners. “We were sure in the conviction that movies in movie theaters couldn’t just survive but triumph.”
It’s stars, and not streaming, that really moves the needle with movie fans, Rothman said.
“The other thing pundits say is movie stars don’t matter anymore,” he noted. “I really hope all my competitors believe that shit. True movie stars matter more than ever, they are just rarer than ever. Streamers don’t create movie stars; only global hit movies do.”
Rothman specifically cited long-time film superstar Denzel Washington, the headliner in Sony’s upcoming “Equalizer 3” film. The nod to the iconic film star preceded Washington’s taking the same CinemaCon stage to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
In past years, Rothman has been similarly critical of streaming services, memorably stating “Netflix, my ass!” at CinemaCon in 2017.
The Sony CEO’s comments come at a time when the major streaming video providers are stepping into the movie theater market, with Apple Original Films leading the way with Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” starring Joaquin Phoenix opening this November with Sony along for the ride as the theater distributor.
“The film will be released worldwide at Thanksgiving with a robust theatrical window and a full-throttle marketing campaign,” Rothman noted “We trust that you will all give this your full support, as the import of all this is clear,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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