Asked on Thursday about streamers that fawned for Top Gun: Maverick during the pandemic when cinemas were closed, producer Jerry Bruckheimer said there were no other option. It was always a big-screen destination.
“I felt, and so did Tom [Cruise], this was a movie for theaters — that’s why we made it,” said Bruckheimer.
“That’s how the first one became a success,” he said, after Paramount screened the movie for attendees as part of its CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas. “We wanted it to be a big experience, and you felt it today with the laughter and cheers; it’s a communal experience,” said the producer, referring to the veracious response to the pic’s preview today.
Judging from the great reception, you can say that Paramount has no regrets over all the release-date pushes for Cruise-led sequel, which will now hit theaters May 27.
“Thank you for keeping your theaters open,” Bruckheimer said to the exhibitors at the Paramount lunch following the pic’s screening.
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Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins was asked about the studio’s approach to theatrical and streaming. He emphasized the message he had during the studio’s presentation earlier this morning in Las Vegas: They’re doubling down.
“What I know is that movies which are theatrical that have a big marketing campaign, they have a greater impact on our streaming than movies that skip theatrical and go straight to streaming,” said the studio boss, comments that drew great applause from the exhibitor-filled hotel ballroom.
In regards to the Melrose lot’s supply, Robbins said he’s eyeing 10 to 12 “big screen experiences” a year. But if the studio organically cranked out 14-16 a year, that’s swell too.
While many in the industry are concerned there’s no marketplace for low- to mid-budget films, Robbins doesn’t believe the sky is falling. Paramount has proved recently that non-superhero tentpoles work with Scream, Jackass Forever and The Lost City.
“I think there’s plenty of room for all types of films,” he said. “I think there’s singles and doubles that can turn into home runs if you nurture them.”
As far as Paramount+ goes, “we have an extra layer,” the CEO said of the pic’s downstream ancillaries. “We used to rent our movies to someone else to build their platform, now we build our own platform.”
Of theatrical day-and-date dimming, he said, “We’re getting to a baseline of normal.”
Is there too much content in the streaming era?
“I don’t know if there’s too much content,” mused Robbins. “We have a lot of choice, there’s a lot of great content that’s being made. There’s lots of opportunities for young filmmakers and storytellers. It’s a pretty good time.”
As far as Top Gun 3, Bruckheimer said, “That’s hard to predict. We’re just trying to enjoy this one.”