Is there room for movies for adults within theatrical distribution? Fresh off the news that the brilliant Ridley Scott film, The Last Duel, only made $4.8 million over the pandemic weekend, Hollywood is back to asking the biggest question over the last decade: "What are we going to do with movies for adults?" This R-rated historical epic was the latest title to suffer lower pandemic numbers than expected. I can't fault it for struggling while we're still figuring out the coronavirus and its effects. But the scary numbers are these statistics from The Hollywood Reporter: "Only 2 percent of moviegoers turning up to see Ridley Scott’s A-list The Last Duel on opening weekend were 17 or younger, while just 17 percent were between the ages 18 and 24. Conversely, more than 80 percent of ticket buyers were 25 years old and up." Hollywood is at an impasse. Theatrical distribution is important for studios to make money. They're public companies that want to keep shareholders happy, which means they need to prioritize movies that make the most money. Read More...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Tuesday, 26 October, 2021