N
net1
Guest
The mutants of X2: X-Men United may have their work cut out defeating the forces rallying against them but the studio executives behind the film appear to have found an effective, and surprisingly non-technological, new weapon against movie piracy: the co-ordinated global release.
Having brought an estimated E140m into the coffers of Fox Studios over its opening weekend, the strategy of launching X2 worldwide in over 90 countries simultaneously has paid dividends in short-circuiting the window of opportunity enjoyed by pirates from a staggered release. The big-bang distribution of X2 has created a global event that looks likely to prove extremely lucrative: the original X-Men brought in global revenues of E260m. X2 already looks set to make much than that.
Fox’s distribution strategy did not come without risks, of course. In the past, staggered global releases have meant that the success, or otherwise, of film release in the US would be used to gauge future marketing strategies across the rest of the globe – a means of either building up interest or ensuring damage limitation. The cost of a blockbuster that turns out to be a global turkey could be catastrophic for the individual movie studios.
Nevertheless, many of the big movies this season are due to take the global route, including the two coming sequels to The Matrix. In addition, Hollywood is attempting to improve the security of its digital distribution of movies to cinema servers in the US through encoded satellite signals.
Having brought an estimated E140m into the coffers of Fox Studios over its opening weekend, the strategy of launching X2 worldwide in over 90 countries simultaneously has paid dividends in short-circuiting the window of opportunity enjoyed by pirates from a staggered release. The big-bang distribution of X2 has created a global event that looks likely to prove extremely lucrative: the original X-Men brought in global revenues of E260m. X2 already looks set to make much than that.
Fox’s distribution strategy did not come without risks, of course. In the past, staggered global releases have meant that the success, or otherwise, of film release in the US would be used to gauge future marketing strategies across the rest of the globe – a means of either building up interest or ensuring damage limitation. The cost of a blockbuster that turns out to be a global turkey could be catastrophic for the individual movie studios.
Nevertheless, many of the big movies this season are due to take the global route, including the two coming sequels to The Matrix. In addition, Hollywood is attempting to improve the security of its digital distribution of movies to cinema servers in the US through encoded satellite signals.
