Dade Hayes & Jonathan Bing
In "Open Wide," Variety editors Hayes and Bing explore the current state of the film biz and the way its emphasis on opening weekend box office grosses has transformed the industry both creatively and commercially.
Using the distinctive trio of wide releases from the July 4, 2003 holiday weekend (Warner Bros.'s "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," MGM's "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" and DreamWorks' "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas") as a base, the book chronicles the complex yet commonplace process of injecting studio releases into the national consciousness, at the peak of the industry's most frenzied season.
The authors pull back the curtain on some of Hollywood's most obsessive release rituals, everything from test screenings to press junkets to opening weekend number crunching. Along the way crucial moments in the evolution of the wide release strategy are documented: the rise of multiplexes, the groundbreaking release strategies for films like "Jaws," "Billy Jack" and "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" and the birth of organizations like Nielsen EDI and NRG.
What ultimately emerges is a portrait of an industry that has turned art into a commodity.
When every weekend is a horserace to be number one, films become more disposable than ever and the movie business is left chasing its tail.
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Date in print: Mon., Nov. 1, 2004