Rejoice, world, the plan to use the internet to ensure you never leave the house continues apace. Because a bunch of big Hollywood names are reportedly backing Sean Parker’s “Screening Room,” a project to let you buy movies at home the day they are released in theaters.
According to Variety, Parker’s new nightmare venture is being backed by Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Martin Scorsese, Taylor Hackford, Frank Marshall, and J.J. Abrams. The idea is that each movie will cost $50, with up to $20 going to theaters. Customers also get two free movie tickets with the purchase to ensure that they eventually go to the theater and pony up way too much money for shitty theater food.
Maybe, maybe, this is cheaper than getting a babysitter and going out. But, alternately, the whole experience of movie-going is based on leaving the house and kids.
Ironically, Peter Jackson hated this plan when it was movie studios giving movies to DirectTV eight weeks after they were released. In a statement to Variety, Jackson said:
I had concerns about ‘DirecTV’ in 2011, because it was a concept that I believe would have led to the cannibalization of theatrical revenues, to the ultimate detriment of the movie business.
Screening Room, however, is very carefully designed to capture an audience that does not currently go to the cinema.
Is that because the DirectTV deal was at a reasonable price, so it was actually something the average person would take advantage of? Whereas Screening Room is aimed at people who have $50 a movie to spare and somehow also don’t have time to leave the house? Pair Screening Room with Seamless and Handy, and you’ll never have to see the horrible sunlight or vicious outdoors again!
Screening Room: Leaving your home is overrated.
[Variety]