IS HOLLYWOOD SPENDING ITSELF INTO DISASTER?

Hollywood is preparing to release some 22 big-budget movies this summer versus 15 a year ago and 12-15 during the previous three summers, the Wall Street Journal observed today (Friday), noting that the release schedule poses considerable risks, especially given the fact that during seven weekends two big-budget films will be opening against each other. Pressure will be enormous on studio marketers to strike it big on opening weekend if their movie is not to become “old news” rather quickly. Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount, told the Journal, “The real downside is if your movie is not good and people have several other choices, the bad [performances] get even more exaggerated.” The decision to produce more big-budget films was apparently prompted by knowledge that these often draw huge audiences overseas, who now account for 69 percent of box office.