James Cameron Siding With Theater Owners Against Studios' Premium VOD Plan - The Hollywood Reporter

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Excerpt:

"On Wednesday, Cinemark Entertainment told the four studios it won't carry trailers, or put up signage, for any movie until the studio notifies it in writing whether the title will be part of the premium VOD offering down the road. Cinemark also could refuse to play a film.

"We are not here to market movies for DirecTV and VOD. We are demanding they tell us upfront what movies those are," Cinemark CEO Alan Stock told The Hollywood Reporter. "Our goal is to promote and advertise movies for their theatrical run."

Cinemark's stern warning came one day after Regal Entertainment told the four studios that it is slashing by half the number of all trailers it plays from them. Nor will it play a spot for any film that's slotted for premium VOD. The policy takes effect April 15.

Representatives from AMC Entertainment met with studios Wednesday to discuss the steps it plans on taking...."

cont.

"...Last week, director Todd Phillips spoke out against the premium VOD service when attending CinemaCon, the annual convention of theater owners. He was there as part of the Warner Bros. contingent, promoting his The Hangover Part II.
Phillips told theater owners he makes his films for the big screen, not for the small screen. Otherwise, he would be have been a television director.

Cameron also attended CinemaCon to discuss the future of digital cinema and give a demonstration on frame rates. He repeatedly told exhibitors that the theatrical experience can't be repeated in the home, particularly when it comes to digital 3D and new technologies....

James Cameron’s Next Films Are ‘Avatar 2′ & ‘3′ For Fox; May Shoot Back-To-Back For December 2014 & 2015 – Deadline.com

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"Commented Cameron: "It is a rare and remarkable opportunity when a filmmaker gets to build a fantasy world, and watch it grow, with the resources and partnership of a global media company. AVATAR was conceived as an epic work of fantasy – a world that audiences could visit, across all media platforms, and this moment marks the launch of the next phase of that world. With two new films on the drawing boards, my company and I are embarking on an epic journey with our partners at Twentieth Century Fox. Our goal is to meet and exceed the global audience's expectations for the richness of AVATAR’s visual world and the power of the storytelling. In the second and third films, which will be self contained stories that also fulfill a greater story arc, we will not back off the throttle of AVATAR’s visual and emotional horsepower, and will continue to explore its themes and characters, which touched the hearts of audiences in all cultures around the world. I'm looking forward to returning to Pandora, a world where our imaginations can run wild."

“It is very exciting to be teaming again with our partners at Fox to give audiences the opportunity to return to Pandora,” said producer Jon Landau. “With the first movie, Jim only scratched the surface of the stories he wants to tell and the creatures and world he wants to create. Now we will continue his vision.”

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