Movies News Talk
Director of the 2024 Road House revival Doug Liman is complaining about Amazon's choice to distribute the movie straight on Prime Video, therefore avoiding a conventional theater release.
Liman expresses his disappointment in a recent interview with IndieWire, saying that everyone involved was paid appropriately since the movie was first meant for theater distribution. The strategy was altered, though, when Amazon bought MGM, the studio behind the movie. Despite the movie's big audience, Liman contends that Amazon's choice to go to a streaming release left producer Joel Silver, Jake Gyllenhaal, and him without further pay. This, he feels, is unjust to the engaged parties.
Liman says he has no problems with streaming itself since he understands its significance in the business. He stresses, though, the differences between Road House and his forthcoming Apple TV+ movie, The Instigators. Regarding The Instigators, a streaming buyout was included and everyone engaged was paid proportionally since the release was scheduled from the start. Like his working with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's Artists Equity, Liman emphasizes Apple's dedication to produce excellent material that appeals to viewers.
Liman's criticism stems from the financial difference between theater and online distribution. Usually receiving a share of the box office income, important creatives for a film distributed theatrically augment their base pay. Since this box office income is zero with a streaming release, these people are typically paid beforehand, hence a streaming release is more profitable. Liman believes that his and others engaged in Road House were not appropriately paid for the popularity of the movie on streaming.
Before its debut, the 2024 Road House remake—a reinterpretation of the 1989 classic starring Patrick Swayze—generated debate. Originally complaining in a Deadline op-ed, Liman said Amazon had mentioned the notion of a theatrical release should the picture be "great." He said further that although the movie did well on test runs, he finally went directly to streaming. Gyllenhaal reiterated that Amazon's plan to premiere the movie on streaming was always clear-cut, but Liman argues he wasn't appropriately paid. The mixed reviews the movie got added to the debate.
The controversy around the publication of Road House has spurred a discussion in the business about the direction of streaming releases and creative pay-back. Though the movie is doing well on Amazon Prime Video, Liman's complaints draw attention to the necessity of more justice and clarity in the often changing scene of entertainment distribution.