Ever since the global pandemic closed movie theaters for months, there have been real questions about what the future of theatrical exhibition even is. While there have been hits just as big and in the case of Avatar: The Way of Water, bigger than anything that came out pre-pandemic, most films are still struggling more than we might expect. There has clearly been a strong bias toward streaming over the last couple of years, but Ridley Scott says that the success of Top Gun: Maverick and Barbie has helped all theatrical films, including his own Napoleon.
Ridley Scott appeared on our own ReelBlend podcast to discuss his new movie. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as the lead in an impressive Napoleon cast and is produced by Apple, so one might expect it to go straight to Apple TV+ or have a minimal theatrical presence. But the movie is getting a wide release, something that Scott credits Tom Cruise for, saying that Top Gun: Maverick’s success followed by Barbie's billion-dollar box office has shown studios that theaters are still important. Scott said…
I think there’s a business plan with the platforms, whoever they are. And there are several. And they were growing in their plan to, I think, eliminate theater completely. They didn't want it, because it's competitive. And also they use up that material already seen before it goes to platform. I think people still re-watch things, as well. So, the business plan, thank God, was questioned when, I believe – I may have this wrong – but I heard Tom Cruise had learned that the plan (for Top Gun: Maverick) was to go minimal screen, then stream. And I heard he said, ‘Absolutely not. Count me out if you're going to do that.’ And they went screen, and it hit a billion dollars. … And then the same thing with Jim (Cameron). Avatar. Now it's two point something billion. Now Barbie is two point something billion. So I think the screens are here to stay for the right movies.
It’s true that movies like Avatar: The Way of Water and Barbie have made it clear that audiences are still willing to go to the movies in droves, even if that's happening less often than it once did. It’s impossible for movie studios to completely discount any theatrical project, as nobody wants to walk away from the next Barbie. Of course, nobody can be quite sure what movies will be massive hits and which will not, but studios are at least willing to take the risk some of the time.
Ridley Scott says that originally, the plan for Napoleon was to go what has become the “traditional” route for a high-profile streaming project. It was going to get a limited theatrical release, likely to qualify for awards season, and then the film would go to Apple TV+. He says Apple realized the movie should get more than that, and so the plan was changed. He explained…
We were on this perilous edge of going minimal screenings, about 10 months ago. That's why… I finished this (movie) almost about a year (ago) now. It was going to have the other plan. Suddenly, they realized that was the wrong plan. They had studios bid for it, and Sony won.
Now Napoleon is getting a much wider release before it makes its streaming debut. While it’s unlikely the movie will do Barbie numbers, a new movie with names like Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix attached to it is likely to do well with movie fans. You can check out Ridley Scott’s full appearance on ReelBlend below.
Napoleon opens in theaters today.
