Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Jan 17, 2014 22:58:09 GMT -6
The Weinstein Co. recently informed theater owners that its upcoming young adult fantasy “Vampire Academy” will be released only in a digital format.
The move by Weinstein Co. and other distributors to alert theater owners to the change signals the long-awaited fade out for film stock, as the majors shift to digital formats for most releases.
“Vampire Academy,” which opens Feb. 14, is not the first Weinstein film to go digital-only. “Dark Skies” which the mini-major released last February was released solely on digital.
Weinstein Co.’s notice to exhibs comes on the heels of Paramount confirming to Variety that “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” is the last movie it will release on 35 mm film.
The move solely to digital was expected. CCG first reported in April that Paramount had run out of print stock.
That did not stop the studio from striking 35 mm prints for Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska.” The director is a fan of film, whereas Martin Scorsese opted to shoot the Paramount distributed ”The Wolf of Wall Street” digitally, with the exception of a few exterior shots.
Weinstein Co. said that it will not adhere to a digital-only policy going forward, but instead will strike prints when it is commercially viable. It’s worth noting however, that there are fewer than 400 locations still playing 35 mm prints — most of which are smaller locations.
The Los Angeles Times was the first to report that Paramount had stopped releasing movies on film.
The move by Weinstein Co. and other distributors to alert theater owners to the change signals the long-awaited fade out for film stock, as the majors shift to digital formats for most releases.
“Vampire Academy,” which opens Feb. 14, is not the first Weinstein film to go digital-only. “Dark Skies” which the mini-major released last February was released solely on digital.
Weinstein Co.’s notice to exhibs comes on the heels of Paramount confirming to Variety that “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” is the last movie it will release on 35 mm film.
The move solely to digital was expected. CCG first reported in April that Paramount had run out of print stock.
That did not stop the studio from striking 35 mm prints for Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska.” The director is a fan of film, whereas Martin Scorsese opted to shoot the Paramount distributed ”The Wolf of Wall Street” digitally, with the exception of a few exterior shots.
Weinstein Co. said that it will not adhere to a digital-only policy going forward, but instead will strike prints when it is commercially viable. It’s worth noting however, that there are fewer than 400 locations still playing 35 mm prints — most of which are smaller locations.
The Los Angeles Times was the first to report that Paramount had stopped releasing movies on film.