Begin typing your search above and press return to search.
proflie-avatar
Login
exit_to_app
Can Trump wield his big stick?
access_time 22 Nov 2024 10:39 AM GMT
election commmission
access_time 22 Nov 2024 4:02 AM GMT
Champions Trophy tournament
access_time 21 Nov 2024 5:00 AM GMT
The illness in health care
access_time 20 Nov 2024 5:00 AM GMT
The fire in Manipur should be put out
access_time 21 Nov 2024 9:19 AM GMT
America should also be isolated
access_time 18 Nov 2024 11:57 AM GMT
DEEP READ
Munambam Waqf issue decoded
access_time 16 Nov 2024 5:18 PM GMT
Ukraine
access_time 16 Aug 2023 5:46 AM GMT
Foreign espionage in the UK
access_time 22 Oct 2024 8:38 AM GMT
exit_to_app
Homechevron_rightEntertainmentchevron_right'Dune' director...

'Dune' director condemns HBO Max Deal, claims move will kill franchise

text_fields
bookmark_border
Dune director condemns HBO Max Deal, claims move will kill franchise
cancel

In a stinging editorial for 'Variety' online, Dennis Villeneuve has spoken out against Warner Bros. move to stream 'Dune' on HBO Max at the same time as it's release in theatres, claiming that the film had been 'hijacked' for purposes of promoting streaming services.

"With this decision, AT&T has hijacked one of the most respectable and important studios in film history. There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here. It is all about the survival of a telecom mammoth, one that is currently bearing an astronomical debt of more than $150 billion," wrote Villeneuve.

The director went on to appreciate the value of streaming services but also pointed out that films like 'Dune' were meticulously crafted by directors and technicians for a specific theatre experience that could not be replicated online.

"Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of "Dune's" scope and scale. Warner Bros.' decision means "Dune" won't have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the "Dune" franchise," he laments.

The controversial move has already sparked a backlash from the Legendary studio that is financing 'Dune' as well as another big-budget thriller 'Godzilla vs Kong'. Reports suggest that Legendary may even take legal action against Warner Bros. The company has sunk more than 335 million dollars into these two films but was reportedly not told of Warner Bros. plans to stream its entire 2021 lineup.

In his editorial, director Villeneuve also called for telecom and streaming companies to recognise the importance of theatre-going experience and not kill a cultural and social medium for profit.

"Since the dawn of time, humans have deeply needed communal storytelling experiences. Cinema on the big screen is more than a business, it is an art form that brings people together...Once the pandemic is over, theatres will be filled again with film lovers. That is my strong belief. Not because the movie industry needs it, but because we humans need cinema, as a collective experience," he said.

Show Full Article
TAGS:HBO MaxDune
Next Story