As the war for Warner Bros. rages on between Netflix and Paramount, a few late bidders have joined the party: Will Arnett and Laura Dern. They really want to keep theatrical releases, especially for smaller films, alive.
“We came in late, we’re going 1 trill,” Arnett joked with TheWrap on Tuesday.
“Yeah, which we’re splitting,” Dern immediately clarified. “I mean, gender equity.”
No, the two aren’t actually bidding on the studio. But they are starring in “Is This Thing On?” together, directed by Bradley Cooper. It hits select theaters next week and is a decidedly low-budget project — the kind that, as of late, is never guaranteed any theatrical release. But the actors would like to see that change.
“I think that it’s really important,” he said. “I think that we undervalue that moviegoing experience.”
The actor recalled going to each of Matt Damon’s “Bourne” movies with fellow actor and “A Quiet Place” director John Krasinski when they were younger, and immediately nerd-ing out about them in deep discussion after they left the theater.
“We run the risk of robbing an entire generation of that experience,” he continued. “Why? It’s not fair!”
Dern largely agreed, and she was hopeful that younger generations will be actively seeking out theatrical experiences, driving demand from studios.
“I think there’s a generation of teens, of young adults — who, you know, is a generation we’re raising right now — that love the ritual, for example, of buying vinyl,” she said.
“That has come back big time, and I do think the theatergoing experience, and watching indie cinema, and going to the movie theater, is something that will be a huge part of this next generation’s life,” Dern continued. “I really do.”
In fact, if Dern and Arnett were to buy Warner Bros., Arnett joked that they would exclusively make movies under $20 million to release in theaters, beginning with a sequel called “Is This Thing Still On?”
“Is This Thing On?” hits select theaters on Friday, Dec. 19.
