4 pieces
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour theatrical release grossed approximately $262 million worldwide in 2023. A year later, the specific distribution model it demonstrated is producing more concert films, and more questions.
The 45-day theatrical exclusivity window, first negotiated after the 2020 pandemic disruption, has become the de facto industry standard. The stability it provides is helpful. The constraint it preserves is partial.
The specific function of the international film festival circuit has quietly changed across the last five years. An essay on what Cannes, Venice, Sundance, and TIFF are actually doing now, and what they have stopped doing.
Hollywood's opening-weekend-dominant distribution model was built for a specific marketplace that no longer exists. An essay on what has broken, which films are succeeding despite it, and what a replacement would look like.