Firing a shot across the Establishment’s bow, indie auteur Steven Soderbergh intends to broadcast his new movie, “Bubble,” on high-definition TV the same day it comes out in theaters (January 27), and release it on DVD just four days later. As a result, most major movie chains have refused to carry the film, not wishing to support a product that will appear in competing formats simultaneously.
Soderbergh is just giving people what they want…but that doesn’t mean the Hollywood Powers That Be won’t still try to make an example of him for messing with their revenue model.
Soderbergh’s plan is a victory for everyone who can’t make it to the movie theater as often as they would like (parents of young children, for example), or who have grown disillusioned with the rude behavior of their moviegoing peers. Under Soderbergh’s model, no one will have to wait weeks or months to view a new movie in the comfort of their own home, if that is how they would prefer to view it.
Will this model shrink the total revenue pie for movies released in this fashion? Most likely. Is it still a good idea? Yes, as long as the producers don’t mind giving up that revenue and alienating their distribution partners in the process.
Does Soderbergh stand a very good chance of being fitted for concrete shoes by the boys in the projection booth? Certainly not. Those union men are known to be delightfully easy to reason with, and not the least bit prone to violent outbursts of temper.
But Steve, you might want to bring a pair of water wings to that premiere, just in case.
