movies "Escape Plan" Won't Hit Aussie Cinemas

[Rappy Veteran]

 

Even Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone aren't good enough to get Australian cinemagoer bums in seats it would seem.

 

Hopscotch Films have reportedly shelved plans to theatrically release the $50 million Arnie-Sly team-up action thriller "Escape Plan" in Australia. The title will now go direct-to-disc.

 

'Escape' fizzled upon release at the U.S. domestic box-office with just $23 million, but has done quite well overseas with a $78 million haul outside North America.

 

In Australia, both "The Expendables" movies and Arnie's recent "The Last Stand" were solid performers, making the choice all the more perplexing. Fans are understandably unhappy, flooding Hopscotch's Facebook page with complaints.

 

Hopscotch themselves haven't confirmed it on their social media outlets, though at least two cinema chains have confirmed the pulling of the film which was to score a release on November 28th.

 

More than ever, films that don't perform well overseas are bypassing theatrical releases here in Australia as local distributors embrace the premium VOD model and skip costly theatrical releases for films they don't expect to perform.

 

In recent times, titles that were slated to go theatrical and then pulled to go straight to disc & VOD include the likes of "The Purge," "The Cold Light of Day," "Parkland," "Premium Rush," "Byzantium," "Wanderlust," "Big Miracle," "Welcome to the Punch," "Chasing Mavericks," "Butter," "Stand Up Guys," "Deadfall" and "Starbuck". "Cabin in the Woods" was famously set to be pulled until a last minute outcry saw it score a limited theatrical run.

 

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/29740/-escape-plan-won-t-hit-aussie-cinemas

[Orange]

Why this country stops alot of stuff, no wonder ppl download.

[Dane]

So if it goes to direct to dvd or whatnot for you guys,  do yous get it faster? Or only after it comes out for the rest of the world?

[George P Global Moderator]

I might check this movie out, I saw the trailer and thought it looked a bit interesting tbh.

[+Anarkii Subscriber²]

We get movies/tv shows very late. 
For example, Carrie has been out in the states for about 2 months now, it is due for release here on Nov 29.
Another example, Revolution is nearly half way though season 2, here in Aus, 4 episodes in to season 1.
The list goes on, so if this movie doesn't make a cinema release people will just download a dvdrip when its available.
Also, a dvd of the movie can be expected bout June/July 2015 here in Aus if its coming to cinemas before xmas.

[(Account no longer active)]

I was really looking forward to seeing it - at the cinema. :cry:

[Growled Member]

 

'Escape' fizzled upon release at the U.S. domestic box-office with just $23 million, but has done quite well overseas with a $78 million haul outside North America.

 

That really makes no sense.

[D. S. Veteran]

That really makes no sense.

 

Why? It's a pretty average-to-bad movie that depends on the attractiveness of a pairing that's 15 years too late. Think about the difference between "Heat" and "Righteous Kill". Pacific Rim did 100 million in the US but 300 million outside of it and that's why it's getting a sequel. Some films just do terribly in the USA but make it up on the foreign markets due to different "tastes" in movies. Some even tank in every market but then make it up by selling tons of DVDs.

[George P Global Moderator]

Why? It's a pretty average-to-bad movie that depends on the attractiveness of a pairing that's 15 years too late. Think about the difference between "Heat" and "Righteous Kill". Pacific Rim did 100 million in the US but 300 million outside of it and that's why it's getting a sequel. Some films just do terribly in the USA but make it up on the foreign markets due to different "tastes" in movies. Some even tank in every market but then make it up by selling tons of DVDs.

You're right, if it was just the US market alone that determined things lots of films would not see a sequel. These are part of a global market and we don't even have an idea of what they bring in through deals with streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and the DVD/BD sales to.