Quentin Tarantino Calls Current Movie Release Model ‘Depressing’
Quentin Tarantino isn't a fan of studios’ decisions to release many of their biggest blockbusters straight to premium VOD or streaming services. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, several high-profile films have been arriving in viewers’ homes long before their theatrical window is closed. Some have foregone a theatrical release altogether.
With box office numbers dwindling as more and more people opt for an at-home viewing experience, Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros., and others have drastically altered their release models to adapt with the ever-changing realities of life in a post-pandemic world. But Tarantino, whose 2019 film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood grossed $374.6 million, is relieved he didn't have to deal with the changes.
On a recent episode of CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend podcast, Tarantino shared his honest thoughts on how many movies are released directly on streaming platforms. “I think it’s depressing,” he stated. “I'm glad that I’m working with Sony, which doesn't deal with that. They haven’t gone down that route.”
He also noted that the timing of his own blockbuster was extremely lucky. Tarantino continued: “But it just really makes me think about 2019, when we came out with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, it really makes me think that, wow, myself and Joker and 1917, it was like we were birds that just flew through a window just as the window was slamming shut. And we practically got our tail feathers caught by the slam. But we got out in time.”