YouTube To Follow Amazon By Screening Its Movies Inside Theaters

An anonymous reader shares a report: Following YouTube's announcement last month that it intends to spend "hundreds of millions" on original content for Red, it's just unveiled plans for a YouTube-made movie that'll also be released in theaters. And unlike its previous effort, 2016's widely-regarded flop Lazer Team, this project has a serious name attached to it: Susan Sarandon. The film, Vulture Club, is already in post-production. It stars Oscar-winning Susan Sarandon as an emergency room nurse whose son has been kidnapped by terrorists, and after being abandoned by the government, finds help in the unlikeliest of places. The thriller also stars Edie Falco of The Sopranos and Matt Bomer of Magic Mike, and is directed by Iranian-American Maryam Keshavarz, of Circumstance fame. Despite being slated for theatrical release, details on YouTube's plans to actually get the movie into theaters are scarce.

The old-fashioned way

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

>> details on YouTube's plans to actually get the movie into theaters are scarce

Payola.

>> project has a serious name attached to it: Susan Sarandon

That's only a big name if it's Bull Durham II (because I doubt there's a non-zombie version of Thelma & Louise).

Re:

[gnick]

That's only a big name if it's Bull Durham II (because I doubt there's a non-zombie version of Thelma & Louise).

Susan Sarandon peaked with Rocky Horror Picture Show and it's been downhill since.

Just Another Movie Studio

[sycodon]

YouTube probably wants people to think this is something new, trendy, different and "Internetty", etc.

Truth is, they would be just another movie studio. Nothing new about it.Might as well be Sony announcing a new Studio spin off or something.

Re:

[gnick]

...just another movie studio.

So? You could say the same about HBO & Netflix and they've both had huge successes. I don't foresee YouTube bringing us the next Game of Thrones, but I have no problem with another player with heavy backing entering the arena.

Re:

[Joviex]

...just another movie studio.

So? You could say the same about HBO & Netflix and they've both had huge successes.

The difference is, HBO and Netflix are in the MOVIE BUSINESS.

Youtube THINKS its in the Movie Business.

Re:

[gnick]

I don't know if you can call displaying movies being "in the movie business." Is Redbox more qualified than YouTube because they distribute movies? HBO & Netflix were in the business of showcasing video. Then they expanded into the business of creating content. I don't see a big difference between their movie-making debuts & YouTube's. I wasn't expecting much when Netflix said they were going to start creating content and they've had some real success.

terrorists

[cascadingstylesheet]

Let me guess, the "terrorists" are rich American Presbyterians.

Re:

[gnick]

her kidnapped son is 50?

The second cast member listed on Vulture Club's IMDB page (Sam) is played by a 40-year-old. Maybe her son?

Nope.

[RightwingNutjob]

Not watching, not paying for Red.

Feels like an advertisement

[alvinrod]

I know that it's difficult to discuss some stories without mentioning companies and products, but this just reads like regurgitated product marketing. It's definitely advertising on Engadget's part, though Slashdot seems to be happy to be enough of a useful idiot to play party to it as well. The summary contains a whole lot of information about this particular movie, but very little about what should be the real focus of the story, YouTube and other new media content platforms starting to get into the production business. The summary even points out how useless this is a story by stating "details on YouTube's plans to actually get the movie into theaters are scarce." Isn't it a journalists job to dig for that kind of information instead of just pushing thinly veiled ads on their readers?

Will the Terrorists use flowers and hugs?

[dwillden]

With their new anti-gun stance, what's the word for when their first movie is one that is likely to include at least some use of guns.

Oh yes, Hypocrites.

Re:

[BlueStrat]

With their new anti-gun stance, what's the word for when their first movie is one that is likely to include at least some use of guns.

Oh yes, Hypocrites.

Exactly. Alphabet/Google/YT is happy to make money from glorifying gun violence in movies. Their corporate VIPs and those in Hollywood want to ban guns but see no problem protecting *themselves* with armed private security or even carrying a gun themselves, they just hate the idea of those regular non-'elites' who work for a living having the ability to protect themselves, their families, and their property because they view them as "deplorables" who really "aren't smart enough" to understand that forcing t

Won't go see them

[Rick Schumann]

I like Maru and other cat videos as much as the next person, but I'm not willing to go to all the trouble and expense of going to a theatre to see them. Sorry YouTube, just not happening.

do I need ad block to watch it?

[kiviQr]

will it have random popups during the movie with ads?

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Spend 100 of millions for 5 countries

[Henrik Gullaksen]

I hope that they will make RED available in more then 5 countries. (Australia, Korea, Mexico,New Zealand,The United States) Or it is a little wast of money.

Google have a lot of products that is only available in a few countries. And it always supprices them that these products are not that popular.

Movie will autoplay after this Ad

[ausekilis]

And the whole crowd starts rushing to push the button in the bottom-right after 5 seconds.

Or maybe there will be some relationship between number of ads and total amount spent on concessions per screening?