Netflix & Exhibs .... Will The Twain Ever Meet

'The Irishman', a film by Marty Scorsese, includes a star-studded cast of gangster favs: Pacino, DeNiro, and Pesci. It will premiere on opening night at the New York Film Festival September 27th and is already rumored to be a strong Oscar contender.

Love the 'de-aged' effect

When Scorsese brought the idea of the film to Paramount, the studio balked at the estimated $159m price tag, so Marty went pitching to Netflix who embraced the project. Now the film is in the middle of a battle between the big cinema chains and the world's foremost content streamer. The conflict has dragged on for months and there appears to be no compromise in sight.

Scorsese has been pushing for a national release and Netflix is negotiating with AMC and Cineplex for a wide release; however, the chains want the film for 90 days before available for streaming. Netflix's focus is on it ability to deliver prime content to its 150 million subscribers and does not want to adhere to "old-style movie business habits". For 'The Irishman' Netflix was willing to go out 21 days before streaming - but no deal so far.

An example of  de-age special effects

Under Academy rules, to be eligible for an Oscar, a film must have a seven-day run at a commercial cinema in L.A. county but it can be screened simultaneously on another platform. This is the right scenario. CMG has always pushed for a day-and-date release to the Netflix/exhibition controversy.

Note: Scorsese used a new special effects technique called "de-age" in the making of 'The Irishman'. It takes the actors actual faces makes them look younger and then ages them gradually throughout the film. Also of note, Joe Pesci can out of retirement to star in the film as a favor to Scorsese.


Jim Lavorato, President & Founder
Entertainment Equipment Corp.
gotoeec.com