Fox Releases DVD Art for WINTER PASSING (W Ferrell/E Harris) before Ltd Theat Release (1 Viewer)

[Nils Luehrmann]

I saw this film when it was screened during the Austin Film Festival last Fall and was quite impressed, but clearly Fox like other studios, are realizing that they can save some money on advertising by shortening the window between a film's theatrical and video release, such that the marketing of either product might help boost sales of the other.

It is also yet another sign that studios are beginning to place more value on video sales than theatrical sales due to an ever shrinking theatrical audience.

 

[Magnus T]

Will Ferrell looks like Ted Danson. Will, you so funny.

 

[Mark Edward Heuck]

In fairness, I don't think this is strategy so much as coincidence.

Fox is not releasing WINTER PASSING in theatres, only on DVD. It was produced by Bob Yari and Stratus Film Company, a production outfit that often gets its films released through major studios (HOSTAGE was picked up by Miramax). However, due to the intimate nature of the film, they were likely unable to lure a major into picking it up for theatrical play, and went to Fox to at least get a DVD deal. So Fox probably had this date set in stone a long time ago.

WINTER PASSING is getting a "P&A" release through a small outfit called Freestyle Releasing - they are providing physical means of getting prints to theatres and putting ads in papers. And they probably got word about Fox's video release date when they made the deal, so I suspect it is in fact them who are putting it out now in order to prime the pump for the DVD. They are probably getting some money funneled to them by Fox for what is essentially an ad campaign on their behalf. Of course, if audiences do like the movie and show up for it in theatres, Freestyle will get to pocket some of that money, so it's a win-win for all involved.