‘Crouching Tiger 2’ Netflix Streaming Deal Leaves Regal Fuming, Bans Film From Theaters
The Weinstein Company and Netflix announced a deal Monday that will allow a sequel to Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Destiny to stream on Netflix at the same time it debuts in theaters. Regal, the largest theater chain in the United States, responded to the news with a tersely worded statement that drips with displeasure as it announced it will not show the film at all.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2 will be released on August 28, 2015 in select IMAX theaters around the world and Netflix. It began filming in May of this year with Michelle Yeoh returning. The streaming media company indicated that this will be just the first in a several major films that will release simultaneously in Imax theaters and on Netflix.
“Fans will have unprecedented choice in how they enjoy an amazing and memorable film that combines intense action and incredible beauty,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said of the deal as reported by Deadline. “We are honored to be working with Harvey Weinstein and a world-class team of creators to bring this epic story to people all over the world and to partner with Imax, a brand that represents the highest quality of immersive entertainment, in the distribution of this film.”
Regal was less pleased with the deal and announced that it will not show Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2 in any of its IMAX theaters. While consumers and consumer advocates have been pushing for this kind of simultaneous release, theater chains see it as a danger to their bottom line.
“At Regal Cinemas, presenting movies on a grand scale is our promise to movie fans as we work to continually enhance themoviegoing experience. We recognize that there is a tremendous slate of films scheduled for release in 2015 and we couldn’t be more excited by the prospects,” Regal spokesman Russ Nunley said in a statement picked up by The Hollywood Reporter.
“While a home video release may be simultaneously performing in certain IMAX locations, at Regal we will not participate in an experiment where you can see the same product on screens varying from three stories tall to 3? wide on a smart phone. We believe the choice for truly enjoying a magnificent movie is clear,” he continued.
Now the question is will other theater chains make the same decision to not show Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2 on their IMAX screens? Netflix is clearly set on upsetting the status quo in regards to movie releases. How much pushback will they get?
[Image via Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2]
