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Lionsgate is teaming with Kevin Smith’s SModcast Pictures to distribute Smith’s thriller Red State, the movie starring Melissa Leo and John Goodman that the director purchased theatrical rights to at Sundance earlier this by paying himself $20 at the end of a bogus auction for buyers (the film has made about $1 million from 15 single-show engagements as Smith shows it around the country). Under terms of the new deal, Lionsgate obtains rights to distribute the title on all packaged media, video on demand, subscription video on demand, electronic sell-through and TV in the US, while SModcast retains theatrical rights. The film is scheduled to be released on multiple platforms in September followed by packaged media before year’s end. Red State revolves around a group of teens in Middle America who receive an online invitation for sex but soon encounter fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda.
Lionsgate Comes Aboard To Help Kevin Smith Distribute His ‘Red State’
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So after cursing the studios at Sundance he’s realizing he can’t handle Red State without one and is trying to spin everyone into ignoring his previous stance. Sounds like he should be running for the Republican nomination.
Exactly. He is a coward and a liar.
A coward and a liar? He flat out said he didn’t want to use a studio for a theatrical release. And he didn’t. He instead toured it and will continue to do so. He recouped his entire budget before it was actually released publicly anywhere. At least he’s TRYING something new. He knows he has the an audience and he’s trying out different methods to get the content to them. Good for him. What’s cowardly about that?
No idea if this movie will actually be any good, but I like the idea of a director taking their movie out to the public. The fact that touring the movie netted him a million dollars without spending a single dollar in advertising is pretty cool. I hope more directors try new ways of putting their much smaller budget movies out there.
Except he is still doing Red State on his own. Did you guys actually read the article, or did you just read the title and decide to comment without reading the whole thing. Red State will still be self-distributed in theaters by Smith, which is what he always intended. He isn’t changing his stance or spinning anyone.
Asides from distributing it on DVD/blu-ray and on-demand, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, has nothing to do with the film. No filmmaker is capable of distributing a movie outside of theaters, such a thing would cost tens of millions of dollars in making deals with production facilities to make enough home video disks, developing connections with retailers, different style of promotion, etc. It’s much different than theatrical distribution.
this isn’t really true, though. in fact, it would be much easier than theatrical distribution. lots of people self-distribute DVDs. he could hire a small staff of people to oversee this and sell them online. he’s got agents at WME that could broker TV, VOD and netflix sales on his behalf. this is all completely possible. instead, he’s opting for quicker cash up front in the form of an advance from LGE.
Or he realized ancillary distribution is actually hard work and opted to give Lionsgate a taste in exchange for their experience & expertise.
Since when has there been a theatrical release that’s been self-distributed on home video? I can think of really small film makers like RedLetterMedia releasing Feeding Frenzy, Blame Society Productions releasing Chad Vader, and Walkaway Entertainment releasing Paranoia on their own. But those were never theatrical releases.
That is a nice chip on your shoulder…and again how does this relate to Republicans?
I’ll take “hypocrisy” for 200.00, Alex.
Kevin Smith is an idiot. Gets all the indies riled up with anti-studio ribald and then turns around and uses them. The DIY distribution models mean a lot of hard work and cost. Leave it the folks that actually do that and know more than those with large opinions (no pun intended).
Did you not read the article? He retained theatrical distribution rights and continues to do it himself. How is this using indies? He’s already made back his budget by doing his OWN distribution. Of course, he wouldn’t have the means to handle streaming, etc., so it only makes sense to do this deal with Lionsgate.
The shallow pettiness of the people who comment here never ceases to amaze me. And I don’t even like most of Smith’s movies.
I guess Smith finally realized the studios do serve a purpose.
Sounds pretty much spot on. Good for Kevin for trying something new, however.
@tallest leprechaun: know what you’re talking about before you go shooting your mouth off – Smith said DURING SUNDANCE that his model was to travel with the film til Fall, then sell to a distributor for wide release. The whole point was to self/viral advertise without all the overhead, the do a wide release.
He’s not going back on his word at all, he’s doing exactly what he said he would. Get your facts right, or perhaps you’re the one who should be running for the Republican nomination?
Wonder what Smith told his investors after he realized that it ain’t so easy recouping $4M on your own? Smith is a big blowhard on top of just being a lousy director. Stick with your comic books & podcasts, Kevin. That’s about all the cred you have left.
He’s already made that four million back, though. So your point is…?
The DH piece said Smith’s made back about $1m towards the $4m budget thus far. Smith will very likely recoup the rest of the investors’ money and then some from his theatrical self-distribution, and then make a bit more with Liongate, but it doesn’t seem like he’s done that just yet.
I forgot about foreign pre-sales. I stand corrected.
Smith certainly isn’t trying anything new in terms of content. Yet another Hollywood star demonizing Republicans and Christians. Many of these real-life Christians that are supposed to be sooooooo hateful, operate and volunteer for and fund charities that provide for those aflicted with AIDS, struggling with homelessness, single and raising kids, etc. Surveys show conservatives are more likely to voluntarily give to charities. I realize its in fashion for some to dump on conservatives as greedy, evil people, but it’s demonstrably false. This constant insult toward middle America may please the suck-up cocktail crowds, but it is lazy storytelling.
As someone who has actually seen RED STATE, I can say with certainty that it definitely doesn’t demonize “Republicans” and “Christians.” The movie actually goes out of its way to separate the “villains” from the people you’re talking about. It has nothing to do with middle America. In the world of the movie, even the Westboro Baptist Church want nothing to do with the villains.
The movie isn’t an attack on Christians, or conservatives, or even Middle America. So don’t sweat it. It’s just a pretty simple horror flick that uses the Westboro Baptist Church (that group of crazies that are only Christian by name) as inspiration.
The movie was inspired by this group:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/raised-hate-kids-westboro-baptist-church/story?id=10809348
Seem pretty evil to me.
You do realize he is a lifelong Catholic, right?
Right on, Mr. Boze
The movie’s inspiration is supposed to be Fred Phelps and the WBC. The guys who show up at military funerals and scream at the grieving families that the soldiers are dead b/c God hates them b/c they were defending a “fag country.”
He’s not claiming that it represents mainstream Christianity or even mainstream conservative Christians.
That being said, the title “Red State” does seem be a pretty un-PC name to give to the film given its content, I’ll admit that.
Blood is red. Its a horror movie. With a lot of blood. Thus, “Red State.”
There’s a second meaning to that title, and you know it.
That’s why the title resonates.
Amen!
Thank you. The only group left to criticize are Christians. The hatred is intense and by and large these are people just attempting to live decent lives.
I agree, everyone is attempting to live decent lives. But there are those that don’t want everyone to have that same right. end of story
I’m pretty sure you haven’t seen the movie, so how do you know what it does and doesn’t criticize? Perhaps–and I don’t know for sure–its criticizes people who PRETEND to be Christian but in name only. And everything they do is very much anti-Christian.
If you don’t believe there are people like that out there, then you’re delusional.
Yeah, and if all of these so-called compassionate conservatives would stop spending money and time teaching and promoting abstinence only programs there probably wouldn’t be as many ignorant people with AIDS, because they might know how to use a condom. If all of the so-called compassionate conservatives stopped destroying and sucking money away from the public schools, perhaps we wouldn’t have so many homeless people, single mom’s raising kids, etc. The FACT is that most of the ‘haves’ don’t want the ‘have not’s’ to move anywhere on the social ladder except down, because otherwise those people will then be compteting for the same jobs and resources. Conservatives aren’t always greedy/evil people, however they are usually obtuse and unable to empathize with the harsh realities and living conditions that many people face that lead to the situations troubling our country.
Oh please. Many of the Christians I know actively engage in all sorts of “sinful” behavior that those of us in the secular crowd frankly find immoral. And, yet, because they have Jesus in their hearts – they’re going to heaven and all will be forgiven. See, as a Christian, you can just fuck up over and over again: you’re a sinner, God’s perfect, and He will forgive you. It’s a free pass for bad behavior. What a joke.
David Boze –
Those private contributions come nowhere near covering the needs of the downtrodden in our society.
Collective action by the people through their government is still necessary to prevent massive suffering.
First, your comment is false. I have done a great deal of research in this area and just like the middle class and the poor give far more money to charity than the rich, Christian church goers also tend to do much less charity work and give much less money than those who don’t attend church. What bothers me most about your comment is the simple fact that much of the aids epidemic is directly a cause of the withholding of contraception in both this country and on the African continent. Sort of,
like George W. shutting down the planned parenthood
handout of condums and then later sending billions
of our tax dollars to Africa to help stop the Aids disaster that he instigated by stopping the flo of condums. Pure Hypocracy…
Smith isnt a coward, he’s a game changer. Read the statement Lionsgate released… Smith posted it on the Red Statements… While you’re there read his blog entry, he recounts IN DETAIL, the process.
Before you castigate, learn the facts… Makes you look like an asshole.
I don’t think he really explained why he didn’t handle all the distribution himself.
I’m so proud of Kevin Smith! I am thrilled that he was successful in getting his budget back and I’m excited to see the movie once it gets a wide release. I support his efforts. I support anyone who is interested in paving a way for new filmmakers.
“Smith isnt a coward, he’s a game changer.”
Really, because Magnolia has been doing this release approach for years now. Game’s been changed. Smith’s just jumping on the bandwagon.
In fact, Jessica Alba’s AN INVISIBLE SIGN also went the VOD route this year.
Jessica Alba is a game changer.
Sounds like a good move to me. Where the studios tend to mess things up is exorbitant P&A costs and other costs that will eventually be tagged onto a film (which is in most cases legal – I’m not making that argument here) taking the filmmaker further away from their breakeven point. A film at this budget didn’t need that. Kevin’s done a great job getting the word out on this film and creating a demand that I think will serve in a rather large VOD audience. He’s probably built up a bigger fanbase (except for Southwest airlines) as he’s taken both himself and his movie to the fans.
I think it was a good move considering the budget of this film and for the changing landscape of how to keep the new i-world entertained.
Who among the K. Smith boosters here wants to predict a final b.o. number?
Whether this apparent about-face was planned all along or not, it sure seems poorly thought out.
Who wants to see this movie anymore?
Well, it sounds like this film cost $4 million to make and has earned $1 million with his personal tour (which make it hard to judge – are they going to see the film, or to see Smith?) This movie is essentially a direct-to-video project, which will earn back the $4 million, I suppose. I’d like to know just how profitable it is – that’s the only real test.
Uh, Red State is already in profit. And if it were direct to video, it would have, you know, gone direct to video. So what exactly are you trying to say here?
As has been said before — but clearly necessitates repeating since most posters aren’t paying attention — RED STATE has turned a profit. Between the reported earnings from its road show play and various foreign pre-sales (such as in Canada), the pic is squarely in the black and the investors have recouped their money.
Does it matter whether people are going to see the film, or Smith, or the guests he brought, or all of the above???
god gawd…why they keep giving this fatso a chance is beyond me…you had one marginal hit back in early nineties…look at the box office for this tubby he must have blackmail on somebody…lol
I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that each of his films have turned a profit. His movies may be small but they all end up making money. He has an audience that is willing to pay to see more or less anything he does and the industry knows that. That’s why they always give him more chances. It’s a business, the end game is to make money.
You are incorrect. Smith has already put Red State into profit.
This is old news. Smith announced this a few months back without naming the studio. It was always part of his game plan. Not sure why folks are getting their panties in a bunch over it all as if it’s new news.
His beef has always been with that side of the business that runs up exorbitant marketing costs to the point where the film has no legit shot at recouping and becoming profitable. Such is not the case with post-theatrical revenue streams. Lionsgate has a solid system in place of doing so. This is not a game, folks. It’s still business & filmmaking is still how the man supports his family. Please grow up.
Hard to tell from the article. I read it as the film has grossed 1 mil, from 15 locations (which sounds about right), thus still off the 4 million budget. It didn’t say that it grossed 5 million with 1 million in net profit. (which I don’t think it made 5 million on 5 screens). I could be wrong, but that’s how I read it.
The film has gross about $1 million from its roadshow. The rest came from foreign presales. But make no mistake — anything RED STATE makes from here on out is profit.
sorry, missed that second 1 behind the 5.
I’M YELLING AND I DON’T KNOW WHY!
He’s not giving in to anything. What he’s doing is called “Hybrid Distribution”. It’s the new alternative for independent filmmakers in order to retrieve their money back. Check out peterbroderick.com. The “old world” distribution methods haven’t been working for indie filmmakers. Kevin knows what he is doing.
Can someone please clarify something. How is it that he’s recouped the 4mil published budget. If RS grossed 1million dollars at the box office and nothing has come in from ancillaries as yet so how is this possible? I understand he’s spent v little on P and A since he’s taken it on the road himself, i also understand that the theatre’s wouldn’t be taking their normal 50 odd percent of each ticket sold as he’s been hiring them out completely at basement prices. So where has the 3mil odd else come from? I doubt v much that it’s come from foreign sales? Is that the word? Love to hear people take/thoughts here.
From the man’s mouth himself:
“We made close to one million bucks from 15 screenings, including $160,000 from the Radio City Music Hall show (which gave us the tenth best per-theater average of all-time). Add that million to the nearly $5 million in foreign sales to date (including Canada – which never feels foreign to me), VOD and Home Video deal, and streaming. Guess where that puts our four million dollar film?
IN THE BLACK!”
You can read more on RedStatements.com.
How is grossing $1M the same as making $1M. Gross 178k at Radio City, what do you think the net is in a union hall? I’d like to see the P&L and talk to the investors…..bet its in the “Red”……..
Another Sloss mess……..
Kevin Smith has done what he did in the beginning with Clerks. He helped inspire a generation of artist. He put it all on the line to make one movie that he loved. It worked for him and it may have or may not have worked for someone else, but you got to push for your dreams.
He is now doing that with Red State. Pushing for his dream. Was it a risk? Has it paid off? Will it pay off later? Who cares! He is an artist pushing toward his dreams. He has always dreamed out loud. His inspiration will now help push another generation. He’s not the first that has gone outside the box and won’t be the last. You don’t like the man, then watch, listen, read something else. Saying the man sucks isn’t constructive. But this man already showed how ignorant and childish internet hate sayers can be. J&BSB
What a fucking snake oil salesman. His movie sucked. So he tried to make bank by essentially raping his die-hard fans with a “road show”. I’ve loved Kevin Smith for years, but after seeing his douchebaggery at Sundance this past January, I’m done forever.
Don’t forget about picketing funerals of dead babies. Do you even know who Kevin smith is?
What I don’t get is how this is ment to be new.
Hasn’t Charles Band been doing this form of distribution for several years now?
This Westboro Baptist Church says they hate the Gay-Community. But, they also hate African Americans, Dr. & Mrs. King, Canada, Sweden, the Fire Department of N.Y., victims of 911, other Christian churches, the pope, Judaism, America, our American troops and the list goes on and on. Many of the groups they despise are specifically named on their hate propaganda, picket signs and their many websites. They not only hate, but wish death on all whom they abhor.
This so-called “church” spreads its hate through picketing in our streets, provoking attacks, with abusive language and flag desecration, attempting to create a confrontation. This is not about protesting, this is about a life of hate. They are in it for the money and the press. They are not a “church.” They go after any thing that can get them in the news. This group will protest anything to get its face on TV or in the news. This group is lost in the darkness of hate, and will put there children in danger to shield themselves.
These people protest at the funerals of our troops. Do we have a real need to protest at any funeral? Is that a real freedom?
The city of Topeka, the state of Kansas and the U.S. at large, its citizens and their churches, schools and events are all held hostage by this “hate group.”-always at the tax payer’s expense.
I will summarize – Westboro hares anyone who isnt them.
C’mon. they basically have no members that aren’t family. They are as fringe as you get; they are just very vocal and outrageous. Basically they are hateful lady Gagas.
hates, not hares. I am a terrible typist.