As a seasoned movie buff with decades of film industry insights under my belt, I can’t help but feel a tinge of dismay at Warner Bros.’ treatment of Clint Eastwood’s swansong, “Juror #2.” With a pedigree as illustrious as the legendary director’s, one would expect a grand send-off befitting his stature in Hollywood. Alas, it seems this isn’t the case.
If a studio has one of Clint Eastwood’s movies in production, you’d expect them to give it a premiere befitting his reputation and decades-long career in the film industry, especially since rumors suggest that “Juror #2” might be his final directorial effort. However, Warner Bros., the studio handling the release, is not presenting it as a significant project by an esteemed director. Instead, they seem to be treating it casually, even dismissively.
According to Variety, although “Juror #2” had its world premiere at AFI Fest this weekend at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Warner Bros. is only planning to release the film in fewer than 50 theaters nationwide, with no plans to increase the number of screenings in the coming weeks. At present, it appears that showtimes are being scheduled at four locations in New York City, five in Los Angeles, and one in Chicago. This limited release is unusual for an Eastwood film, particularly one that doesn’t seem to have any negative feedback and boasts a talented cast including Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Zoey Deutch, J.K. Simmons, and others.
Compared to acclaimed films like Anora and The Brutalist, which are produced by smaller independent studios, Juror #2 – a movie coming from a major studio – may not initially appear on as many screens. However, due to their potential success during awards season, these smaller films will be shown on more screens as they grow in distribution. Unfortunately, this is something that Juror #2 won’t experience since it doesn’t have the opportunity for such expansion.
All Signs Point to Warner Bros. Wanting to Bury Juror #2
The fact that Warner Bros. might choose not to disclose the box office earnings for the film suggests a growing likelihood that it is being hidden or ignored. It appears as though they are trying to make people forget about it, and this strategy seems to be one of their methods. By not revealing the box office figures, WB can claim they gave it a theatrical release, but keen observers will understand that they’re essentially abandoning it. Interestingly, Clint Eastwood’s previous film, “Cry Macho,” didn’t perform exceptionally well with a gross of $16.5 million; however, it was released both on HBO Max and in theaters. It is worth noting that Eastwood has a dedicated fanbase of older moviegoers who consistently support his films. For instance, “The Mule” (2018) earned a worldwide gross of $174 million, while “American Sniper” (2014) achieved an astounding global gross of $547 million.
Originally, Juror #2 was designed for streaming, but that plan shifted following screenings of the movie which demonstrated its potential. Although it’s now being shown on a few screens to make it eligible for award consideration, everything suggests that the $30 million film won’t be a major contender in an already competitive arena. It appears that Warner Bros. isn’t fully valuing their long-standing partnership with Eastwood, which dates back 50 years. Under its new management, such loyalty seems to hold less significance.
Despite not addressing the low number of screens for Juror #2, Warner Bros. confirmed that the movie is indeed releasing in the U.S., as well as various international markets such as the U.K., France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. The film will make its worldwide debut at the AFI Film Festival this weekend, with the full backing of Warner Bros.
Juror #2
hits under 50 screens on Nov.1.
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2024-10-25 01:02