Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group Chairman and CEO, Tom Rothman on the Golden Globes red carpet, gave props to the congloms circling Warner Bros –Netflix and Paramount– saying that “what I’m gratified to hear is that all of the parties involved have indicated they understand the value of the theatrical window.”
There’s been a lot of fear in town: How can Paramount possibly release 30 films a year if it owns Warners?
Netflix, which has had success theatrically with its late August weekend release of Sony Animation’s KPop Demon Hunters and the series finale of Stranger Things has waffled in their messaging on theatrical. Soon after the $19M No. 1 weekend for Kpop Demon Hunters, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said during a fall earnings call that the streamer was about first-run movies on the service. He’s since changed his tune during the streamer’s accepted bid for Warner Bros exclaiming that he’ll respect a traditional theatrical window, particularly for those films already contracted as such by the current WB regime.
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Rothman, whose Sony is known as an arms dealer in selling content to competitors since they don’t have an OTT service, also beamed that amid the merger noise, “our business is pretty healthy.”
So, Mr. Rothman, you wouldn’t be adverse to seeing Warner Bros going to Netflix?
“I’m not going to comment on that because I love all my children and we’re great partners with all involved,” said Rothman whose Sony has a pay one deal currently with Netflix.
In regards to whether Rothman saw the success of Kpop Demon Hunters coming (the pic counts over 324M views on Netflix, the most watched movie ever on the service), the Sony studio boss said, “anyone who tells you they new — well, that’s really a bit of a fib.”
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