The year 2020 has not just changed the lifestyle pattern of millions of
people but also the way they consume entertainment, thanks to the emergence of
Over The Top (OTT) platforms. Hollywood star George Clooney says that this
change has opened new employment avenues, which is a good thing but it will
not impact the importance of theatrical release of the film in days to
come.

In an authored piece for Variety.com,
Clooney said, “We shot a movie (“The Midnight Sky”) that was designed to be
shown in theaters. The first thing I said to the Netflix guys was ‘I don’t want
anybody to ever say, ‘Stay home from school, don’t go out for dinner, but
definitely come to see my movie.’” There’s no reality in it. So the movie is
going to come out on Netflix.

“We told them we’d shoot it in 65mm because
it’s night and day when you see it on a giant screen. This particular film is
made for that. But if you can’t, you can’t. There are a lot bigger issues in
the world right now than that.”

Clooney, who is married to human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, further said, “And let’s be clear that
in 1950 everybody panicked that the movie industry would be done because of
television, and then it was VHS, and then it was DVDs. The truth of the matter
is there’s always going to be a great space for cinema. People have to get out
of the house. I can’t keep saying to my wife, ‘Let’s watch TV tonight.’ What
(streaming) has done is provide thousands and thousands of new jobs for actors,
writers, directors and producers who are making some really interesting
content. It’s given new filmmakers, young people and minorities opportunities
to work, so there’s nothing but good that comes out of this.”

He says that “the movie industry is going
to continue to carry on.”

“Has it created some different viewing
habits? A little bit. But you know the
film industry survives these things; it always does. And part of it is
because we need a collective experience and it’s still a great date night.
Dinner and a movie is still pretty great. And kids still like to get in the
dark with whoever they’re seeing. They want to get away from their parents. So
young people are still going to go to the movies.

“We should be giving federal aid to the
theaters. The movie industry, Hollywood, which everybody loves to crap all
over, is one of the largest exporters of original product in the United States.
I would make the argument that they should be subsidizing the theaters and
keeping everybody afloat,” he said.