2 days ago
The Thursday Murder Club to be shown in just 30 cinemas
Richard Osman has a grand plan to save cinemas. The House of Games TV presenter and bestselling author has argued on his podcast The Rest is Entertainment that they should screen big-budget television dramas alongside the latest films to tackle stagnant admissions.
However, his strategic support does not appear to have translated into real-world help around Netflix's anticipated film adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club.
'Some very good news for everyone who wanted to see The Thursday Murder Club in UK cinemas,' he said on Instagram last week. 'Netflix have listened to the clamour, and the film will now have a run in UK cinemas. See what happens when you all ask!'
However, 'delight quickly turned to disappointment' among cinema operators after they learnt that it was to be released in a 'paltry' number of just over 30 screens.
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In contrast, Brad Pitt's F1: The Movie, which is funded by the rival streaming service Apple TV, is estimated to have opened at 700 screens and sped into pole position at the UK box office after grossing about £7 million.
Cinema operators were hoping for a similarly bumper opening week from The Thursday Murder Club from August 22, propelled by fans of the book and the film's cast, which includes Dame Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie.
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Phil Clapp, the chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, said: 'Netflix can choose where and when they release their content and given that we're still in recovery those venues which are allowed to play the film will more than welcome the box office. But a significant majority of the potential audience are now likely to be disappointed.'
Ted Sarandos, the co-chief executive of Netflix, told an event in March that audiences preferred watching films at home. He said: 'Folks grew up thinking, 'I want to make movies on a gigantic screen and have strangers watch them [and to have them] play in the theatre for two months … It's an outdated concept.'
One local cinema owner urged Netflix to repeat the successful strategy it employed for Roald Dahl's Matilda when the streaming date was held back for weeks and it became the highest grossing British film of 2022, and had takings of £22 million.
'Netflix's relationship with cinemas in the UK is inconsistent. To their credit they were one of the few distributors supporting us with films during and immediately after the pandemic. I regret that relationship wasn't built on,' the owner added.
'I can only assume cinemas are being used as either a trailer for the following weeks streaming release or even worse as a patsy for Bafta awards qualification.'
