Sean Baker Wants 90 Days, but the New Average for Theater Exclusivity Is 32
“Anora” director Sean Baker made headlines over the weekend with major wins at both the Directors and Producers guild awards, where he used his platforms to implore that fellow filmmakers demand 90-day windows for all theatrically released films.
However, IndieWire can report that in 2024, across 85 wide-release films, the average theatrical window was 32 days — a drop of more than 13 percent. In 2023, the average was 37 days (also across 85 films).
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Across 2024’s top 10 films in the U.S./Canada, the in-theater average is higher: 46 days. However, in 2023 the average was 58 days. That 20 percent drop stemmed from “Oppenheimer” and “The Sound of Freedom,” which skewed the average with windows of over 100 days. In 2024, the longest theatrical window was 67 days, for both “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” — the #1 and #2 films of the year.
The 32-day windows were usually capped by PVOD rentals for $19.99 (in some cases, $24.99) and in some cases, streaming. We don’t know the in-home revenue results, but the studios’ share is a much-higher 80 percent; box office is around 50 percent.
Lacking data to measure success, we have behavior. The continuing decline in theatrical windows suggests that revenue created by earlier in-home access — which also capitalizes on theatrical marketing — offsets any box-office loss.
“Anora” is an interesting test case. Like other initial limited-release films, it’s not part of our survey. Baker’s film opened in six theaters October 18, saw its widest release November 17, and went to PVOD 30 days later — all told, 60 days after its debut.
Its best weekend was November 8, when it grossed $2.5 million in 1,104 theaters. For November 17, “Anora” was in 1,500 theaters but grossed a little under $1.8 million. The following week, it dropped 1,000 theaters.
Between days 45-60 of its theatrical release, “Anora” grossed $800,000. Half of that or less will go to Neon. Since its PVOD debut, it’s been a consistent presence in the daily iTunes top 10; currently, it’s #2 at a VOD rental price of $5.99.
We can’t know specifics, but for a film with a $15 million domestic gross it’s very likely that VOD revenue will exceed film rentals — possibly by a substantial margin. Without initial exclusive theatrical success, the $6 million “Anora” might have been of little interest for VOD consumers.
A low-budget film like “Anora” thrives on high visibility during the Oscar voting period. And while VOD adds to the profit for a studio blockbuster-Oscar contender like “Wicked,” that home revenue is critical for the Neon title.
Although the average windows are smaller, it’s different for the biggest hits. “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Moana 2,” and “Mufasa: The Lion King” (all Disney) saw exclusive runs of 60 days or more. Universal remains the studio most likely to favor earlier VOD dates while reserving the 18-day window for low-grossing titles.
Baker would not like to hear it, but there is an established correlation: Initial theatrical exclusivity creates at-home success. When shorter windows bring a higher return, studios can make more movies that benefit theaters.
Of course, if a 90-day window became the norm perhaps many moviegoers would choose to see films in theaters. But that’s something we’ll never know.
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