On Monday, the odd hero of the film industry’s CinemaCon convention was Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon,” a film originally made by Apple for its streaming platform.
The historical epic starring Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte will be shown exclusively in cinemas this November, as part of Apple’s recent and industry-shattering shift toward global big-screen distribution for its films.
Sony Pictures, which is collaborating with Apple to distribute the film in theaters, has devoted the final night of its coveted CinemaCon opening night slot to the film.
Footage of a devastating battle sequence in which French forces led by Napoleon ambush an enemy army atop an icy lake provoked boisterous cheers from the theater owners in attendance.
“Old school, big screen,” Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman said.
“Epic is the only proper description of that Apple Originals film,” he said, in a show of praise for a streaming company that would have been almost unthinkable at CinemaCon previously.
The CinemaCon summit brings together theater owners, Hollywood studio executives, and A-list celebrities. Speakers usually make a point of praising the unique “magic” of the large screen while also slamming streaming services.
However, a recent revelation that Apple intends to spend $1 billion per year on movies that will play in theaters before moving to its Apple TV+ streaming platform has been a huge windfall to cinemas who are still recovering from the plague.
This year, Apple’s Martin Scorsese picture “Killers of the Flower Moon” will be released in theaters by Paramount, while streaming rival Amazon recently launched its Ben Affleck thriller “Air” first.
Analysts say both Apple and Amazon hope that such high-profile releases in theaters will ultimately boost awareness of their streaming platforms’ offerings.
