big-budget film with Brad Pitt, to be made by Apple.
Clooney's main area of focus has long been romantic comedies and dramas, including some slower-paced, small-budget projects like 2009's Up in the Air or 2011's The Descendants. It is certainly true that, with streaming services becoming increasingly available and dominant during the COVID-19 era, the films that theaters decide to show tend to be major blockbusters, such as MCU movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home, or big, long-awaited sequels like The Matrix Resurrections. Understandably, theaters want to lean towards films that will draw the biggest audiences so that they can make enough money to keep their doors open.
In a recent interview with Clooney went on to state that theaters' attitude towards his films has been waning for some time, and there is always a "fight" to get any movie picked up for release in theaters. However, the actor did also mention that despite streaming services being the main competitors for theaters, they have also opened doors for work like The Tender Bar to find their place. Read Clooney's full quote below:
"I mean, you always have to fight. I'm also doing a film with Brad [Pitt] for Apple and that's a big-budget film. The secret is you have to work to guarantee that there's also a theatrical release. There's nothing more exciting than watching a comedy in a room full of people, or a scary movie. I find that part of our job is always to make sure that we're protecting the integrity of having films in theaters ... But honestly, theaters weren't jumping at taking a lot of the films that that I've been making for a long time. They were like, 'Yeah, that's not really our thing anymore.' So the streamers have really opened up a door in a way to keep those kinds of stories alive."
Despite this appreciate for the benefits of streaming, Clooney certainly hasn't changed his opinion on the importance of films being shown in theaters. According to the actor, "there's nothing more exciting than watching a comedy in a room full of people." Clooney feels that, although it's a good thing his films have managed to stake their place on services like Prime, he feels it is vital that the entertainment industry is "protecting the integrity of having films in theaters," rather than letting the in-cinema experience go by the wayside.
Clooney is not the only creator who is having to fight to have their films shown in theaters. Even a film as big as Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic Dune had to struggle to receive both a theatrical and a streaming release. As the years go on (and the COVID pandemic continues), it is clear that the only films that seem a safe bet for theaters are big-budget sequels and reboots. With that said, films like Clooney's The Tender Bar have been able to find a home, and if creators as prominent as him continue to fight, audiences may one day see a resurgence of the classic drama and rom-com in theaters.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
