In 2022, Paramount Pictures’ Top Gun: Maverick revolutionized the box office due to Tom Cruise, star and producer of the movie, refusing to let it debut on streaming services.
In the wake of that unconventional decision, the box office and the act of going to the movies have, sadly, still sucked. Every time I check movie listings, I am left disappointed.
Hollywood keeps churning out remakes and cash grab films, often starring the same handful of actors.
When I finally come across a trailer that piques my interest, the movie is only in select theatres for a few weeks before becoming exclusive to a streaming service I’m not don’t subscribed to. At the Cannes Film Festival, Cruise spoke to the audience following Top Gun: Maverick’s standing ovation.
He explained that debuting the film on a streaming service was never an option and later cited his reasoning. “I’ve spent a lot of time with theatre owners. The people that serve the popcorn, the ones who make this happen,” he said.
Also at the festival, Cruise conveyed his feeling that going to the cinema is a unifying experience. The excitement of checking showtimes for a new film, (emphasis on new), and finally heading to the theatre to watch it after a long day or week ranks among my top ten favourite feelings of all time.
Yet I find myself experiencing it less and less.
While it might be the only thing I agree with Cruise on, I firmly believe that going to the movies is a universally positive experience for most people and something that desperately needs to be preserved.
That is exactly why I was hopeful following the run Top Gun: Maverick had following after its theatrical debut on May 27, 2022. Cruise advocated for the film to have a 120-day theatrical window — meaning Top Gun: Maverick would not be available on streaming platforms, DVD, or anywhere else during that time.
Ultimately, the film was theatrically exclusive for 90 days.
Even with Cruise’s compromise, its theatrical exclusivity was a major factor in Top Gun: Maverick’s success as the film brought in close to $1.5 billion dollars worldwide.
Why aren’t other production companies and producers opting to do the same? It would be unfair to claim that every film with a decent theatrical window will perform as well as Top Gun: Maverick — the star-studded cast and nostalgic appeal played a significant role in its success.
However, a solid theatrical run has proven beneficial to a film’s success. The longer it remains exclusive to theatres, the longer it stays relevant and exciting in public conversation.
In an interview with the Toronto Sun, Paul Dergarabedian, senior analysis at the global media analytic company Comscore, shared his observations of Top Gun: Maverick’s success.
“The film proved that the movie theatre experience is undeniably unique, undeniably important and clearly as relevant as ever for audiences in the modern streaming era, and that is no small thing,” he said.
I’m sure the main reason most production companies choose minimal or no theatrical window is to maximize profits for a small percentage of powerful people within their companies. Nonetheless, this growing trend leaves moviegoers who enjoy the experience of the theatre disappointed.
While the box office has other issues, streaming platforms and short theatrical windows are major factors contributing to why it sucks.
Contributed Photo/Darien Funk
