Arts Culture & Entertainment
January 5, 2015
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13
How The Interview’s VOD grosses could change the game
L
(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
OS ANGELES — Sony
appears to have a win-win
with The Interview. Not
only did the studio score a moral
victory by releasing the film in
the face of hacker threats, the
movie made at least $15 million
from more than 2 million digital
rentals and purchases in its first
four days.
In late December, it seemed
unlikely we’d ever know if the
simultaneous — or “day-and-
date” — strategy paid off. Now,
it’s tempting to suggest this may
be the start of a brave new world
of distribution. Add in the $2.8
million from The Interview’s
limited theatrical release and
things aren’t looking so bleak for
the R-rated comedy starring Seth
Rogen and James Franco.
But the story is far from over
and many are divided about its
outcome. For some, The Inter-
view’s
impressive
video-on-
demand (VOD) performance is an
anomaly. For others, it signals a
revolution.
“It’s a huge number and it’s one
that is probably making the other
studios salivate,” said Jeff Bock,
a senior box-office analyst for
Exhibitor Relations. “Now there
is something to put on the
bulletin board that says, ‘Yes,
VOD is definitely a viable
option.’”
But one might also post on the
bulletin board that it’s standard
industry practice not to release
VOD figures. That’s why the
(AP Photo/Columbia Pictures - Sony, Ed Araquel)
By Lindsey Bahr
The Associated Press
UNCONVENTIONAL RELEASE. Actor Randall Park (left photo, center) portrays North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Columbia Pictures’ The Interview. In the right photo, a
South Korean army soldier walks near a television screen showing an advertisement of the film at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. The Interview was never supposed
to be a paradigm-shifting film. But unusual doesn’t even begin to describe the series of events that transpired last month, culminating in the truly unprecedented move by a major
studio to release a film in theaters and on digital platforms simultaneously.
public only hears about them have
prospered
with
a Ben Stiller comedy Tower Heist teen audiences, who were
when they’re good. For instance, simultaneous theatrical and on VOD for $59.99 just three suddenly able to easily and
2011’s Bridesmaids, which had VOD release have been the ones weeks after its theatrical affordably access an R-rated
already
been
released with the smaller budgets, opening, but theater owners movie.
theatrically, made $24 million destined for art houses and balked and chains like Cinemark
Bock thinks that even when
from VOD in four months, independent theater chains.
threatened to cancel their the extraordinary, awareness-
allowing Universal to declare it
For example, J.C. Chandor’s showings. Universal ended up boosting events surrounding The
the most popular VOD release of Wall Street thriller Margin Call, scrapping the plan.
Interview are taken into account,
all time. But how many VOD a $3.5-million movie that Lions-
Sony, meanwhile, only started the film’s hybrid opening still has
bombs have there been?
potential
to
change
gate and Roadside Attractions pursuing digital options after the the
Also, if Sony hadn’t been acquired for $1 million, was major theater chains dropped the everything, even if it takes years.
hacked and this film wasn’t released in theaters and on film following hacker threats to
“The truth is, the VOD
pushed to the center of a national demand in the fall of 2011 and blow up theaters.
obliterated the theatrical,” said
conversation, it could have easily picked up around $5.4 million
In addition, many exceptional Bock. “When you think about
made $20 million to $25 million from theatrical and another $5 conditions factored into The what the real future of
on opening weekend — not unlike million from VOD. Magnolia, Interview’s first weekend. It distributing films is, it’s got to be
Pineapple Express, a similarly IFC, and Radius-TWC have all became an unlikely event movie, as easy as one click. If that’s as
raunchy R-rated comedy starring had similar success stories.
and seeing The Interview was quickly as you can get money
Rogen and Franco. This would
On the other hand, the major akin to asserting one’s freedom of from people, well, the studios are
have come far closer than VOD studios haven’t had the option to speech. That’s buzz you can’t buy. going to listen. It’s just
did to paying off The Interview’s even test day-and-date strategies
“We don’t want to be told what economics.”
$40-million production budget because it would jeopardize the we can and cannot watch,” said
Others, like Dergarabedian,
and
roughly
$10
million 90-day release window required Rentrak’s senior media analyst believe the old model will prevail,
marketing cost.
but with VOD growth.
by big exhibitor chains. In 2011, Paul Dergarabedian.
Historically, the movies that Universal tried to release their
That also applies to underage
Continued on page 15
South Korean to drop Sony film in North by balloon
By Hyung-jin Kim
The Associated Press
EOUL, South Korea — A South Korean activist says
he will launch balloons carrying DVDs of Sony’s The
Interview toward North Korea to try to break down a
personality cult built around dictator Kim Jong Un.
The comedy depicting an assassination attempt on Kim
is at the center of tension between North Korea and the
U.S., with Washington blaming Pyongyang for crippling
hacking attacks on Sony Entertainment. Pyongyang
denies that and has vowed to retaliate.
Activist Park Sang-hak says he will start dropping
100,000 DVDs and USBs with the movie by balloon in
North Korea as early as late January. Park, a North
Korean defector, said he’s partnering with the U.S.-based
nonprofit Human Rights Foundation, which is financing
the making of the DVDs and USB memory sticks of the
movie with Korean subtitles.
Park said foundation officials plan to visit South Korea
around January 20 to hand over the DVDs and USBs, and
that he and the officials will then try to float the first batch
of the balloons if weather conditions allow.
“North Korea’s absolute leadership will crumble if the
idolization of leader Kim breaks down,’’ Park said by
telephone.
If carried out, the move is expected to enrage North
Korea, which expressed anger over the movie. In October,
the country opened fire at giant balloons carrying
anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets floated across the
border by South Korean activists, trigging an exchange of
gunfire with South Korean troops.
But it is not clear how effective the plan will be, as only a
small number of ordinary North Korean citizens are
believed to own computers or DVD players. Many North
Koreans would probably not risk watching the movie as
they know they would get into trouble if caught. Owning a
computer requires permission from the government and
costs as much as three months salary for the average
worker, according to South Korean analysts.
Not everyone supports sending balloons into the North,
with liberals and border town residents in South Korea
urging the activists to stop. North Korea has long
S
demanded that South Korea stop the activists, but Seoul
refuses, citing freedom of speech.
Park said the ballooning will be done clandestinely,
with the pace picking up in March when he expects the
wind direction to become more favorable.
Calls to the Human Rights Foundation were not
immediately answered. The foundation says on its
website that it works with North Korean defectors to use
hydrogen balloons to send material across the border, as
well as smuggling items through China and broadcasting
radio transmissions to reach those who own illegal short-
wave radios.
O PEN HO USE
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#34785 # 6
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that the digits 1
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Solution to
last week’s
puzzle
Puzzle #34761 (Hard)
All solutions available at
<www.sudoku.com>.
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