Comments By J.J. Abrams & Todd Phillips Highlight Hollywood Divide About The Screening Room's Premium VOD Plan
Ever since Sean Parker's startup The Screening Room was announced last month, with plans to offer day-and-date blockbuster releases for viewers at home for $50, there has been lots of debate about what this could mean for the future of moviegoing. Surprisingly, Peter Jackson, J.J. Abrams, and Steven Spielberg have been among those who support the idea, while lining up against it has been James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, The National Association Of Theater Owners, and art house cinemas, who all see the plan as a real threat. And naturally, the conversation has continued this week at CinemaCon, where the divide in the industry was clearly felt.
On Team VOD, Abrams sees The Screening Room as a chance for the industry to finally get ahead of the digital curve. “Much has been said of other technologies that threaten the theater experience — and of course I am no expert, and I’m open to all points of view and good ideas to keep theaters thriving — but we need to do everything we...