Arnold Schwarzenegger Kicks Off 'The Big Screen Is Back' Confab; Emphasizes Exhibition's Impact On Retail, Employment Of 153K+ Workers
It’s welcome words to hear from a producer on the state of theatrical. Movie producers, increasingly more than ever, are required to be agnostic about where their films wind up as studios shift at the last minute and send product on a streaming service or truncate a theatrical window.Hello everyone. I’m Jason Blum and I’m truly excited to be here today.
It’s been a packed news cycle this week, and, of course, it’s tempting to draw hasty conclusions about what it all means. But I know one thing for certain, if you told me right now that you were going to turn down the lights and show me any of the movies that were previewed here today, I would stay. The heart of this industry is the enduring value of great storytelling. And when the story is great, the audience will come.There is a palpable buzz in the creative community. Movies are heading back into production. And more importantly, movies are heading back into the movie theater. New stories are being readied. We are eager to get back to doing our best work. The pandemic accelerated change, but with change comes opportunity. Each studio is experimenting with its own bespoke business model.