Brad Pitt’s return as Cliff Booth has created a disagreement among major movie theater chains. IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond has questioned why some exhibitors refuse to screen the upcoming Netflix film.
During a quarterly earnings call, Gelfond addressed the decision by Regal and Cinemark to block the film from their IMAX screens. As quoted by Deadline, Gelfond expressed confusion over the stance, stating, “Frankly, I don’t understand why anybody wouldn’t play it.”
Titled The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, the film continues the story of Pitt’s character. David Fincher directs the project from a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino. It follows Cliff eight years after Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Netflix has scheduled its exclusive two-week IMAX release for November 25. The film will arrive on the streaming platform on December 23.
AMC Theatres will screen the movie, unlike Regal and Cinemark. Both chains have raised concerns about Netflix’s shortened theatrical window. Instead, they will use their IMAX screens for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which opens the weekend before Pitt’s movie.
The IMAX chief thinks exhibitors could make room for both Cliff Booth and The Hunger Games
Gelfond said the chains could schedule both films without losing either release. He suggested using regular screens for the Lionsgate release and reserving IMAX auditoriums for Pitt’s movie.
He said, “If you’re a circuit that has hundreds or thousands of screens, you could play Hunger Games on lots of screens, and you could play Cliff Booth on your IMAX screens, and it’s a win-win. They have that flexibility if they want to use it.”
He also addressed exhibitors’ previous disagreements with Netflix over its theatrical release strategy. Gelfond pointed to the KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along as an example of a Netflix title that successfully attracted moviegoers.
AMC had refused to screen the event after the original film had been available on Netflix for more than a month. However, Regal, Cinemark, and other theater chains showed it in cinemas.
Gelfond has watched an extended clip of The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth and believes Pitt, Fincher, and Tarantino’s involvement could draw audiences to theaters. He also expressed confidence in Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, pointing to its strong advance ticket sales.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
