With the rise of big tentpole franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the constant mass producing of sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots and spin-offs – the moviegoing experience has lately been filled with works catering to people’s nostalgia
As a result, it can be harder for original works with a much smaller budget to receive recognition and some even underperform at the box office. This leads most distribution companies to essentially dump the film on a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu instead of potentially losing money with a wide release.
If a distribution company were to put the film in theaters, then it would only be shown in select theaters instead of all across the country. A recent example is the decision by Warner Bros. Pictures to only have Clint Eastwood’s “Juror #2” (2024) be played in 50 theaters in the U.S. On Dec. 20, the film will be available to stream on Max.
Likewise to Eastwood, some of the biggest filmmakers have been pushed to rely on streaming platforms to promote their films. In 2019, Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” had a limited theatrical release starting Nov. 1 and ending Dec. 5. The film was picked up by Netflix and earned an average of 13.2 million viewersin its opening weekend.
“The Irishman” stars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino. It is a prime example of a “smaller” film with notable actors who each have their own fanbases. If “The Irishman” was released 30 years ago in theaters, it could have made a substantial amount of money at the box office since many people were familiar with them and had seen films like “Raging Bull” (1980), “Home Alone” (1990) and “The Godfather” (1972).
In today’s culture, many trendy celebrities include those who play famous comic book characters such as Tobey Maguire’s Spider–Man. Viewers often support media that is more akin to a superhero film or television show.
While some older directors like Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan still manage to break through and have their films be played in theaters, it can be hard for other directors to have their films shown and for moviegoers to see smaller films.
However, the rise of streaming services saves many films from being completely wiped from existence. Also, there are some movie theaters that showcase smaller films as well as bigger films.
In Athens, The Athena Cinema is primarily known for showing independent and foreign language films for an extended period of time. Movies 10 - Fun Barn, located in Nelsonville, Ohio, also balances between showing newly released films — whether it was shown in a film festival the year prior or if it was scheduled to release on a specific date.
The Athena Grand also showcases popular films people have seen many times through advertisements and trailers as well as films that go unnoticed in the marketing world. However, The Athena Grand announced via Facebookit will be closing soon, and the last day to see a film there will be Jan. 5 of the new year.
It is a lot different for people to see films today than it was 15 years ago. The biggest films today often have high budgets and actors seen in other similar films. Years ago, the biggest film of the year could have been an eerie horror movie or an indie drama.
At the moment, it is unknown whether or not smaller films will still have the chance to be watched on the silver screen going forward. However, the options near Athens and online provide opportunities to see smaller films.
