Despite the fact that I’ve seen every movie trailer online way before I see them inside the movie theater nowadays – I still kind of like watching trailers at the cinema. Maybe it’s nostalgia – it’s always been like that. The lights go dark, you watch a few trailers, and finally your movie comes on. That’s the experience.
But there’s a problem. Are movie trailers too long and thus too revealing? It’s not uncommon to spend 20 minutes watching previews during the average theatergoing experience. And by the end of that 20 minutes, I usually have a pretty good idea about the entire plot of at least 4 or 5 movies that are set to come out in the near future.
Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers.
Apparently, theater owners aren’t too happy about this part of the moviegoing experience. They think that trailers are too long and too revealing, and they are looking to change that.
The Hollywood Reporter says that the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) are making a push to cap trailers at 2 minutes – 30 seconds shorter than the current norm. Hollywood studios, as you might imagine, aren’t too happy about this.
THR’s sources says that studios execs are a little sour about NATO’s proposals, which are being pushed by its executive board.
“My trailers are 2.5 minutes because that’s what we need to send the right message. This could be a paradigm shift. Thirty seconds is a long time,” one anonymous studio exec told THR.
Although the idea is barely in its nascent stage, studios are concerned that the voluntary guidelines proposed by NATO could lead to theaters strong-arming longer trailers out of rotation.
What do you think? While you think, enjoy my favorite spolier-filled trailer. Want to watch the movie The Island in 2 minuteas and 20 seconds – I mean, the entire thin? Well, thankfully you can.