The directors of "Gray Man" also suggest that the film world needs to move from an old-fashioned reverence to "author" filmmaking.
The Russo Brothers have officially entered the streaming versus theater debate, weighing the "crisis" Hollywood faces as a result of a "culture war" over how movies are made and released.
"We're in a crisis right now because everyone is at war with each other," Joe Russo told The Hollywood Reporter as he promoted the release of Netflix's "The Gray Man," which opened in select theaters today ahead of its streaming premiere on September 22. July. "It's sad to see, if guys growing up love movies. One thing to remember is also that it's an elitist idea to be able to go to a theater. It's damn expensive. So this idea that was created - true we insist - that the theater is a sacred space is nonsense, and it rejects the idea of letting anyone under the tent.”
Joe Russo continued: “Where digital distribution is valuable, other than what I said earlier about how it promoted diversity, is that people can share accounts; they can get 40 stories for the price of one story. But having a culture war of sorts about whether there's value in that or not is fucking bananas for us."
While Anthony Russo explained that the $200 million "The Gray Man" was made for a theater - "that's how we shot it, how we styled it and, technically, how we supported it" - Joe told the duo that indifferent to delivery method.
“When we worked with Marvel, we traveled the world for ten years,” said Joe Russo, who has directed four films for the MCU with his brother. “What that empowers you is an understanding that goes beyond a Hollywood-centric view of how to create content. We're agnostic about delivery. You know what can make everyone happy is that Netflix is starting to do 45-day windows and that they have their massive digital distribution platform. Everyone wins. That feels like where it's going."
He also suggested that the film world needs to evolve beyond an old-fashioned reverence for the "author" model of cinema — reminiscent of how directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have vilified Marvel's output in the recent past.
“The filmmaking author is currently 50 years old. It was conceived in the '70s,' says Joe Russo. “We grew up with that. We were children, it was very important to us. But we are also aware that the world needs to change and the more we try to prevent it from changing, the more chaos we create. It is not for anyone to reject the ideas of the next generation.”
"We love everything about classic cinema, but we've never been so fond of it, in any way, in any form," said Anthony Russo, adding that the brothers don't value theatrical distribution that much either. “How do you get away from the old models? How do you reach target groups that have not been engaged before? That's the most interesting thing for us."
Reflecting on their Marvel legacy and partnership with Disney, Joe Russo added that Netflix was a breath of fresh air.
"Disney has become very conservative," he stated. "After-[Bob] Iger, they appear to be in IP management mode. You get all the 'Star Wars' and all the Marvel you can handle for the next decade. They all change. It's either an amplified conservative approach to your traditional studios or it's forcing a tech company like Netflix to rethink its entire model."
Former CEO Iger announced in February 2020 that he would step down as executive chairman. Disney's former head of parks, experiences and products, Bob Chapek, took over as CEO.
Joe Russo went on to say that Netflix is "easier to work with than a traditional studio," as their approach is "more of a tech company mindset than a studio."
“They are very hands-off. No one is bothering you," he said. "They have a different approach to how they control the budget for the film. It's not as stressful as in a studio."
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