If the success of Doctor Who is anything to go by, fandom can be a profitable market in the world of Cinema. This past weekend, the first episode of the new season of the series brought in some $700,000 in Australia alone. That’s at least 40,000 tickets around the country in limited release, in the one day. And this was an episode that you could easily stream legally and efficiently through the ABC iView service from earlier that morning.
Back in November, The Day of the Doctor – the 50th anniversary episode of Who – made some US$10m around the world when it screened in 3D across 15 countries around the world. It’s not the first time that TV has made it to the big screen – but it certainly set a precedent.
Using the latest in digital HD projection technology – that, let’s face it, most cinemas have had their hands on for some time now (much to the detest of people who enjoy seeing film on film… but I digress) – it was something that was able to be achieved in tandem with the USA, UK and pretty much everywhere in the world that cares about the iconic UK series. Efficiently, affordably and successfully. Neither Who release had a formal, big budget ad campaign to worry about – in Australia at least – just word of mouth and internal cinema promotions. That means that the cost of doing it was whatever cut the cinemas took, and however much it cost to send the files to those cinemas. Surely it’s like printing money.
So the question is, if people are willing to fork out the twenty-some dollars to head to the cinema and see an episode of a big-budget TV show they love on the big screen, why aren’t they doing it for other big series, in an era where complaints about piracy seems to be overshadowing any notion of success, fandom or legacy.
So here’s the pitch, particularly to US network HBO. Let’s start setting this as a real precedent and giving it a run with the best, most cinematic series*. Bring us a feature length premiere episode of the next season of Game of Thrones. Partner up with your international networks, like Showcase in Australia, and screen it on big screens around the world on the same day. You have accumulated a fandom that’s so influential, “Weird Al” Yankovic went on the Emmys today and sung a song about you. So take advantage of it!
Because I don’t know about you, but I would totally see Game of Thrones in cinemas – and though we wouldn’t do it weekly, give us the opportunity to start and end the season in cinemas and we will. It’s not every day that a show comes along that you can say that about**. It’s a great experience for fans, it’s money in your pockets and if the argument is “it gets in the way of subscription money” – which, of course, is what the ad-free model HBO and the like are founded on – I don’t see how $10 million for a one off screening gets in the way of that. It encourages the consumption of your brand amongst people who are probably downloading it illegally anyway.
So, what have you got to lose? Are you with me?
*Please don’t ruin this argument by suggesting we screen “feature length” episodes of The Big Bang Theory.
**Well, to be fair, few come as big budget…
———-
