Sony chairman comes out fighting with ‘Netflix, My Ass’ rallying cry
Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman appears to have decided that the best form of defence is to go on the offensive, by declaring ‘Netflix, My Ass,’ brushing aside concern of being outmaneuvered by nimbler streaming rivals.
Rothman’s own posterior has been on the line following a succession of turkeys and under-performing releases – most recently sci-fi/romance Passengers which disappointed with takings of just $300m on a $110m production budget.
However looking ahead, Rothman is staking his reputation on a succession of big-name, big-budget blockbusters including ‘Blade Runner 2049’, ‘Dark Tower’ and ‘Spider-Man’ to turn things around.
The studio is also banking on lower budget successes such as Edgar Wright’s ‘Baby Driver,’ which has wowed preview audiences although at the other end of the scale, efforts such as the ‘Emoji Movie’ are unlikely to trouble the Academy Awards.
Past mis-fires include cancellation of ‘The Interview’ following threats made by hackers.