Hollywood giants Tom Cruise and Christopher Nolan find themselves at odds over their upcoming blockbusters. Tom Cruise, riding high on the success of Top Gun: Maverick, has his next release Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. At the same time, Christopher Nolan is preparing for the highly anticipated Oppenheimer. The conflict centers around access to IMAX, with the distribution of showtimes becoming a point of contention, reported Variety. Paramount’s Mission: Impossible 7 will only occupy IMAX screens for a single week before yielding all showtimes to Oppenheimer, as reported by media business newsletter Puck. Tom Cruise has made efforts to remind industry insiders of the substantial revenue generated by Maverick through Imax screenings. He has suggested that a shortened run for Dead Reckoning could lead to missed financial opportunities.
However, Universal had already secured a rare agreement with IMAX for Oppenheimer to control all IMAX screens in North America for three weeks. This has surpassed the usual two-week exclusive window. This deal resulted in Greta Gerwig’s star-studded Barbie losing out on IMAX screenings altogether.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond expressed regret over the inability to accommodate both films simultaneously. He has acknowledged the anticipation surrounding Mission: Impossible 7 while recognizing Nolan’s long-standing relationship with IMAX. “In a situation where there’s an unavoidable conflict,” Gelfond said, “we’ll look at a number of factors: how the franchise has performed before, visuals, and our relationship to the filmmaker.”
Gelfond hopes to bring back Mission: Impossible 7 to IMAX screens after the run of Oppenheimer. He said, “Nolan has a special place in Imax’s heart because he uses our cameras and promotes us. It’s not a matter of us saying which we can make more money on. I would hope after ‘Oppenheimer’s’ run, we can bring back ‘Mission.’”
This clash highlights the increasing demand for premium large format (PLF) screenings, even as overall movie attendance remains lower due to the pandemic. IMAX’s market share has seen a 50 per cent increase without adding new screens, demonstrating the appeal of enhanced viewing experiences. These formats can account for a significant portion of box office returns, with studios vying for access to the limited number of screens capable of delivering such immersive experiences.
Studios engage in negotiations and rely on past successes to secure prime showtimes for their films on PLF screens. IMAX operates differently, exercising more control over scheduling showtimes and prioritizing certain films that utilize their proprietary technology. Nolan’s endorsement of IMAX as the best film format further bolsters his priority status, even at the expense of other high-profile projects like Cruise’s Mission: Impossible franchise.
As the competition for IMAX screens intensifies, studios must navigate these negotiations to maximize the potential of their movies and cater to the growing demand for premium viewing experiences.
Comments
0 comment