Many theater owners complained about G.I. Joe‘s quick DVD release last year. Now, as THR reports that Tim Burton‘s Alice In Wonderland theatrical run may get cut short, expect similar complaints. Disney CEO Bob Iger has been talking of changing theatrical windows for awhile, now this is the first test. The usual run for a film is 16 weeks, but Disney wants just 13 for the Johnny Depp-starring fantasy film. Their reason is that family-friendly Disney films usually make a whole lot of bank on DVD/Blu-ray. It is also reported that Alice will come to video-on-demand services earlier. Another plus of the shorter theatrical window is that 3D screens will open up for Clash of the Titans, which opens April 2nd.
Get ready for the shorter theatrical windows this decade. With home theaters becoming increasingly cinema-like (although nothing can fully replicate the theater experience) I’m glad Disney is taking the first step and realizing they can go where the profit is. As bandwidth strength increases, instant streaming has taken over (as Netflix has proved with it’s Watch Instanly success). While I’m not looking forward to Alice In Wonderland in the least, this is a good step forward
Alice In Wonderland hits theaters March 5th.
What are your thoughts on shorter release windows and other distribution methods?