Theater to DVD window less than 3 months for Saved!, announced before it even opened! (1 Viewer)

[Johnny G]

The new comedy starring Jena Malone, Mandy Moore & Macaulay Culkin hadn't even opened in theaters when details of the DVD release were sent to dealers last week, due for release on Aug 24th & a final Pre-order date of July 23rd.

I know this isn't going to rake it in at the box office but it puzzles me how studio execs make these decisions.

 

[Chris Dugger]

Exec's don't... Marketing does.....

Dugger

 

[Robert Ringwald]

It must have to do with the fact that the film got a limited release, so it's clearly not going to be raking in the dough...

I'm heading out to see it in the middle of June. Hope it'll still be playing, even limited, at that point.

 

[Johnny G]

$16,400 per screen in the first weekend, this figure only beaten over that period by Shrek 2 & Day After Tomorrow, I'd say the 20 screens that are showing it are definitely raking it in.

At almost 5 times the #3 spot, Troy and 4 times the #4 spot, Raising Helen, the managers of those theaters must be mighty glad they went with this limited release.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Well that's the problem. It may be making a killing in the per screen average, but with such a limited theater count it's not going to be making large numbers.

Perhaps they'll take a hint from this weekend and expand the release a little. I know I'm planning to see it when I visit NY in a few weeks.

 

[Johnny G]

Well the theater count went up to a whopping 31 screens for the 2nd weekend & was the only film on release this week to take more than last week, excluding films in their 1st week of course.

The screen average was $11,258 which was only beaten by Harry Potter, I still can't work out why they go for these small limited releases.

 

[Matthew Chmiel]

Because the masses don't know about Saved! (or most other indie films for that matter).

If MGM/UA were to release the film wide instead of going the "limited release" route, the film would die painful and quickly (especially with what is coming out this summer). With a "limited release," the film has time to gain word-of-mouth from critics and audiences as it slowly finds it's way across the entire United States.

The film should be in Vegas sometime during the next three weeks and I'll catch it then.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Well, from everyone I've spoken to about it, it's already really getting great word of mouth.

I can hardly wait for this one.

 

[oscar_merkx]

I had not heard about this movie until this thread

 

[Kevin Grey]

Because there tends to be a finite amount of people in a given area who enjoy indie fare and are willing to drive to the specialty theaters that show them. If the film were to play on 10 times the number of theaters that doesn't mean that 10 times the number of patrons will see it.

Opening it on 1500 screens or so likely wouldn't increase the gross very much but it would have a huge increase in costs for prints & advertising.

A well planned limited release can quite easily pull in 5-10 million dollars with very modest studio expenditures. For films budgeted at 1-2 million or less thats a pretty nice profit.

 

[Jamie Cole]

Just a heads-up... Macauley will be on NPR's Fresh Air today (6/7/04) discussing the film.