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ONE BILLION GLOBAL SVOD SUBSCRIBERS
UNFORGETTABLE, THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE
INDUSTRY COMMENTS ON NEW DIGITAL CAMPAIGN
DAYS OF WONDER
WARNER GOES FOR FANS FIRST
SNYDER CUT TO GET PHYSICAL RELEASE?
BACK ON DUTY
COMMENT AS LINE FORMS AGAIN
IT’S IN THE BLOOD
THE ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA
MCQUEEN RETURNS TO LIFE OF EXCESS
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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One billion. That’s the total number of worldwide subscriptions to video on demand services according to figures released this week by the Motion Picture Association. The landmark figure was passed in 2020 according to a new report from the US trade organisation, its annual Theme study. It shows that the magic figure for worldwide subscriptions to online video services stood at 1.1 billion by the end of the year, a 26 per cent year-on-year increase. In the US alone, the figure stands at more than 300 million, itself an increase of more than 30 per cent. The report compiles theatrical and home entertainment statistics on global and domestic US levels. The global theatrical and home entertainment business was worth $80 billion in 2020, a figure down 18 per cent year-on-year, caused, obviously, by the global pandemic. Within that, theatrical was down more than 70 per cent to around $12 billion, although this drastic fall was tempered by a 31 per cent rise on home entertainment and mobile entertainment revenues, which rose to more than $60 billion. Of that total, 76 per cent came from digital, 15 per cent from theatrical and nine per cent from physical media. “Despite the challenges to the global economy brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the film television, and streaming industry has once again risen to the occasion,” said Charles Rivkin, chairman and ceo of the Motion Picture Association. “Streaming experienced another huge boom, with new entrants into the market and more than one billion subscriptions worldwide for the first time ever. We kept audiences connected and entertained wherever they were and whenever they desired. Theatrical and home entertainment remain two essential parts of this dynamic and iconic industry, and I am confident that movie theatres will experience a great comeback in the months ahead.”
“Watch. Relive. Repeat.” It's the kind of tagline that would suit an effects-heavy Hollywood blockbuster, but it is instead the phrase used to support the Unforgettable Moments campaign launched by BASE and the Digital Entertainment Group International (DEGI) to push to digital transactional consumers. It’s the biggest ever cross-category marketing campaign put together by the industry and was targeting three key consumer groups – new, lapsed and existing costumers. It built on the previous Mega Movie Week cross-industry campaigns, with participating retailers including Amazon Prime Video, the Apple TV app, BT TV Store, CHILI, Google Play, Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, Rakuten TV, Sky Store and Virgin Media, with distributions from BASE and DEGI such as BBC Studios, Lionsgate. The Movie Partnership, NBCUniversal Entertainment, StudioCanal, The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Split into two strands, it kicked off with a messaging campaign on March 6, pushing the benefits of Download and Keep for film and TV fans who didn’t want to pay subscription services, highlighting the “simplicity, flexibility and ease of digital transaction”. This was followed on March 15 by a week-long promotional campaign with “digital retailers showcasing a range of offers from their own stores, including some of the best film and TV content available”. In its statement, BASE and DEGI said: “With a multi-faceted media campaign that incorporates broadcast VOD, radio, digital, social, influencer, and print executions, the integrated educational and promotional activity of Unforgettable Entertainment represents the largest investment yet from BASE/DEGI, in its ongoing strategic mission to support cross-industry growth across the digital transactional landscape.”
Comment on the Unforgettable Moments campaign came from both BASE executives and its chairman. Liz Bales, ceo at BASE/DEGI, said: “Audiences have demonstrated just how important home entertainment is to them over an incredibly challenging year, with more than two million new customers uncovering the flexibility and depth of choice digital transactional offers. With Unforgettable Entertainment, our goal is to continue to build on that growth, and ensure that we are reaching and educating new audiences about the benefits of digital transaction, while also engaging and encouraging frequency of purchase among existing, loyal customers. The Official Film Chart has shown that consumers have taken the opportunity to find films and shows they may have missed first time around, and across the campaign we showcase incredible heritage titles alongside more recent releases. Unforgettable Entertainment demonstrates that there really is no greater library of film and TV available to help ensure that, particularly around those planned entertainment occasions, now very-familiar sofas feel special again.” Rob Marsh, chair of BASE and vp commercial (home entertainment) at Sony Pictures Entertainment, added: “With the introduction of Mega Movie Week in 2019, now replicated in multiple territories, BASE/DEGI continues to drive a bold but strategic agenda with the prime intention of enabling conditions for meaningful growth in digital transaction in an evolving video category. Unforgettable Entertainment continues with our purpose to broaden audience engagement, just as much as it provides an opportunity to build on the organic growth the category has been fortunate enough to enjoy. The success of these campaigns continues to prove that we can create powerful, consumer focussed category moments together as an industry, and that transactional video entertainment has its own unique strengths and qualities which consumers recognise and enjoy. We invite partners and stakeholders to view this campaign through that lens, as a conversation starter, and an opportunity to consider what more we can do together to drive even greater category success.”
One of the last Mondays in the first quarter brings with it one of the biggest releases of Q1, and most likely the first half of the year too, as the final big blockbuster released in 2020, which came out just as another lockdown kicked in, is Wonder Woman 1984. The film has already made its mark at retail during its digital window, with the Gal Gadot starring, Patty Jenkin-directed superhero film spending a second week at number one in the Official Film Chart. The way the release has been timed will see it getting an extended life at retail too – it will have a front of store presence in the run=up to Easter in the grocery sector and then once HMV and non-essential stores reopen on April 12, Warner will be working with retailers to help the reopening go with a bang. The major has also worked with the grocery chains on utilising OOH digital panels, with ads outside the likes of Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco acting as a last minute impulse reminder to consumers and also further heighten awareness.
Continuing with Wonder Woman 1984 and Warner said it had opted for a “fan-first” approach to its campaign, meaning it wanted to appeal to the notoriously loyal and fierce DC Comics aficionados both in terms of the product and SKUs it was offering and in terms of targeting. Diehard DC Collectors will be wooed by exclusive Steelbooks at HMV and Amazon, with a deluxe collectible on offer at Zavvi. In terms of the marketing, with awareness for Wonder Woman – celebrating her milestone 80th birthday this year – at an all-time high, Warner has plumped for digital for the main thrust of its campaign. It’s aiming to convert audiences to watch at home, while social video will appear across all key platforms, and there will also be a Google and Amazon search campaign. Warner is also working with media brand Freeda too reach a key audience segment and further drive engagement.
The Wonder Woman 1984 release comes as Zack Snyder’s Justice League arrived on Sky Cinema, the new four hour-plus cut of the comic book film released exclusively through the service at the same time as it made its debut on HBO Max in the US and other territories. Fans online are now speculating about its physical home entertainment bow. The vociferous army of fans are demanding a Blu-ray and are trawling the Internet for evidence of Warner’s plans. One site, Movieweb, has reported that a late May release date is on the cards, citing set dates for Australia and Germany on May 26 and 27 respectively. Another, HITC.com, noted: "Considering the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League is such a colossal win for the fans, it will be nice for them to have a piece of physical media to help further commemorate both their determination and achievement in helping bring it to the screen. Having a copy of it up there on the shelf may serve as a nice reminder, while a disc release will also make it more accessible to audiences yet to see it; not everybody has access to certain streaming services. It will also be nice for collectors and completists to have it take pride of place amongst their DCEU titles too. However, perhaps the biggest reason for a physical release is this: bonus features.aAlthough details are scarce right now, there would arguably be so much potential for supplementary content, chronicling the journey of bringing Zack’s vision to the screen in numerous featurettes.”
It’s back. One of the biggest homegrown UK dramas in recent memory, Line Of Duty, returns to UK screens this Sunday (March 21) for its sixth outing and just as the team at AC12 ready themselves to take on bent coppers once more, so Acorn has revealed its plans for the home entertainment release of the latest series of the much-talked about programme. The sixth series airs weekly on BBC1 from Sunday night, with Acorn’s DVD and Blu-ray release of S6 will land on shelves and in stores on May 17. Given the must-see nature of the programme, these, and the accompanying six series complete boxset (on DVD on the same date and Blu-ray later in the year), Acorn is expecting it stop enhance its reputation as one of the must-own series of the 21st century. It’s already received acres of publicity, with the series and its stars Adrian Dunbar Vicky McClure and Martin Compston, as well as new recruit Kelly McDonald, plastered across the covers of TV magazines as well as newspapers and other media, which can only aid awareness for the release. And given fans’ ability to pore over the minutiae of the series, and callbacks to previous series, the prospects are also looking good. As the Radio Times’ review of the first episode noted: “Writing a spoiler-free review of Line Of Duty's season six opener is quite a minefield… I could tell you – no, I can’t tell you that. Or what about the return of – oh no, not that either. But ahead of Sunday’s episode, I can tell you that the BBC police anti-corruption drama remains on fine form, and we’re about to spend the next two months obsessed with unpicking the truth behind Jed Mercurio’s knotty plot, as well as getting to know the show’s excellent new guest lead DCI Joanne ‘Jo’ Davidson (Kelly Macdonald). The opening episode is also intensely stressful in the best kind of way."
Further comment on the impending Line Of Duty mania came from Acorn’s Helen Squire, who said: “We’ve been waiting for the next series of Line of Duty since 2020 as filming stopped as soon as it started but at last AC-12 are back doing what they do best. Kelly Macdonald joins the cast as the series antagonist and those of us lucky enough to see the first few episodes think it may be the best yet. And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, as well as EST and DVD, we’re bringing Line of Duty to Blu-ray for the first time ever this year.”
The arrival of Line Of Duty on screens has proved fortuitous for another company, as there is a further Jed Mercurio associated title that is due to appear as a home entertainment release ahead of Line Of Duty. Bloodlands is out from Dazzler on Monday March 22 after finishing its high profile run on Sunday March 14; its transmission slot will be taken by Line Of Duty. The series, starring James Nesbitt, is set in Northern Ireland and focuses on an investigation dating back to the Good Friday agreement, it comes from LoD creator Jed Mercurio’s own production outfit and, in its tale of police overstepping the mark, bears all the great man’s hallmarks. Commenting on the release, Dazzler’s Paul Holland said: “The genius mind of Line Of Duty writer, Jed Mercurio has also been seen and much admired these past four Sunday nights in the BBC1 drama, Bloodlands. This time it's not about H the big question is who is Goliath? This gripping contemporary story set in Northern Ireland see's the potential of the assassin known as Goliath re-emerging from the height of troubles. Starring James Nesbitt the series which has already spent a considerable time at number one on the itunes TV chart is out on DVD and Blu-Ray this coming Monday.”
WWE news and the wrestling organisation is up for its busiest time of the year. Monday March 22 sees the release of the latest Royal Rumble release from the WWE through Fremantle, with the release kicking off the countdown to the biggest release of the WWE’s calendar, Wrestlemania. The company’s Ken Law said: “We are firmly on ‘The Road To WrestleMania’ with our release of the Royal Rumble 2021 on Monday and the long-awaited re-issue on April 5 of some absolute classic WrestleMania from the 1990s and 2000s which had been previously missing from our WWE catalogue due to clearance issues. Then, on April 10 and 11, WWE stages its 37th annual WrestleMania event at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida in front of 25,000 fans. This will be the first time in 13 months that WWE fans will be in attendance so it’s really going to be something special. The NFL did a remarkable job at the same stadium with the Superbowl in February and WWE has learnt from that and I’m sure will raise the bar in their own inimitable way. This year’s event will also be staged over two days, rather than just one, so it will be unique and memorable and we can’t wait to bring the DVD and Blu-ray out on June 7. This is one the fans will definitely want to own and keep.”
It’s good to welcome back an old friend of The Raygun’s and a long-running industry figure, one who’s been behind key innovations and labels in our business, having been instrumental in the world cinema and arthouse sectors for many years. Step forward then Alan McQueen, a stalwart at the likes of Palace, Fox World Cinema and many more. He’s teamed up with the driving force behind Cine Excess, Xavier Mendik, with the pair working together in bringing the Cine Excess offering to Amazon’s digital platform. The digital film channel has grown out of the Cine Excess film festival, which aims to celebrate and discuss cult cinema with fans, cinephiles and academics alike, with the film channel, like the event itself, aiming to represent diverse voices within cult cinema and genre fare. Its first two titles are both female friendly genre offerings, Black Lake, from British Asian director K/XI and Leakage, from Iranian director Suzan Iravanian. The directors themselves welcomed the support from Cine Excess. K/XI said “It was important for me to have that recognised and elevated by a distributor who saw the importance of the film. Not just violence against women in countries like South-Asia, gender, sexuality, art and culture, but by also looking at how a particular blend of cinematic techniques has been incorporated to conjure up a distinctly intimate yet terrifying vision.” Iravanian added: “Cine-Excess and its Digital Film Channel instils a new form of cinephile devotion in the cinema fans.” McQueen himself said: “Cine Excess’ label will bring unique visions to the world, great new directors bursting with talent and we are delighted to be the platform they have chosen to showcase their films.”
AT THE MOVIES
It was the turn of the Oscar nominations this week with the Academy unveiling the nods for its 2021 awards. As with other awards season announcements, the list this year shows the fractured nature of the business – half the titles in the running for this year’s gongs have long been available on streaming platforms; Netflix’s Mank, the leading contender this year with 10 nominations, has been available for some time, as have the likes of The Trial Of The Chicago 7 and the Borat sequel, other nominations. And the rest are those which have yet to see a UK theatrical release at all, meaning distributors are now looking at the best way to maximise the buzz around titles such as Lionsgate’s The Father (a shoo-in for awards from where we’re sitting, although we have yet to see everything), Altitude’s Minari and Vertigo’s Sound Of Metal. You can see the full list here
and the ceremony takes place on Monday April 26.
Rian Johnson is the latest big name director to turn his hand towards television, with the news that he is working on a series for US-based streaming service The Peacock. Little is known about the series apart from its star (Russian Doll’s Natasha Lyonne) and its title (Poker Face). Johnson, also working on the Knives Out sequel, said: “I’m very excited to dig into the type of fun, character-driven, case-of-the-week mystery goodness I grew up watching. It’s my happy place. Having Natasha as a partner in crime is a dream, and we’ve found the perfect home at Peacock.”
In a week that saw DC pushing the boat out for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, aka the Snyder Cut, and Wonder Woman 1984’s home entertainment release, there’s news of another DC adaptation in the works. For Deadline has reported that the superhero is the next to make the transition from the page to the big screen, with a film featuring the character in development at Warner-owned DC.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Cruella gets crueller…
Due from Arrow…
The good, the bad and the Elba…
Song from homegrown production Nemesis, out March 29…
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