'Hancock' Gets an Experimental Release


'Hancock' Gets an Experimental Release

Posted by SexiVixxEN 157 days ago
It seems fairly certain that Hancock will do decent business when it hits theaters this week, if only because Will Smith rarely stars in a dud these days -- especially when it's his face selling the movie before all else. Whether or not the film has staying power after opening weekend, however, remains to be seen, but Sony Pictures clearly has a lot of faith in its potential: Last week, the studio revealed its intentions of releasing the film online sometime after its theatrical run and before its DVD release, but only to users with Sony Bravia TV sets. It's a bold maneuver, one that assumes its core base of consumers actually have an interest in Hancock -- but the movie will make a profit either way, so it's a reasonable choice for this intriguing experiment.

Left in the dust by Apple's iPod, Sony continues to struggle in its search for a piece of the digital revolution. Company head Howard Stringer recently told the New York Times that the strategy for releasing Hancock "vanishes the memory of the failures of the Sony Walkman." Well, maybe. While on-demand technology has changed the way audiences consume their media, they don't like paying more money than necessary. Asking your audiences to buy a special device in order to access what, at this point, amounts to one movie -- well, that's asking a lot. But it's still a step in the right direction.

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Comments


  • flbeachboy
    posted by flbeachboy
    Right now Will Smith, Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale all the top togs right now and I don't see them losing there spot just yet.
    posted 156 days ago
  • kinglamarcus
    posted by kinglamarcus
    i agree wyth the last comment make everyone wait all the same damn..........because if not people will get wise to all the bullshyt and join the train where no one will go see it
    posted 157 days ago
  • shiftyeyeddog
    posted by shiftyeyeddog
    BULLSHIT. I am getting sick of exclusive bonus content from tv shows and such only available to certain mobile phone users, etc. But to now offer movies ONLY to people who buy a certain product. BULLSHIT.

    Hey, it's their disaster, though. Despite any protection they try to put on it, this will only result in it being cracked and available to EVERYONE online before their dvd ever streets.
    posted 157 days ago