Sony Pictures head boasts that "the movies aren't dead" after Brand New Day box office win

That would be Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures CEO and chairman, who, when told the good news about Spidey’s box-office haul by Variety, gave this fairly obvious response: “So I guess movies aren’t dead after all?” As journalists and proponents of going to the movies, we could have told Rothman that, especially after seeing so many filmgoers of different stripes venture out in search of IMAX theaters to witness Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey. But we get it, Rothman’s position means he’s more concerned with the bottom-line, which, at Sony Pictures, is looking more than promising these days. 

Rothman goes on to call the turnout “miraculous,” saying “Spider-Man is uniting people across cultures and ages. People can piss on theatrical all they want, but that’s one thing that only movies—and movie theaters—can do.” This is a feat that other studios will likely feel compelled to repeat—including Sony, if Rothman’s stated desire to bring back Holland for yet another Spider-Man movie (should things align) is any indication. (Maybe Holland should start expanding his stretching regimen.) The CEO doesn’t go so far as to commit to a whole Sony-Marvel universe, but Brand New Day‘s box office take to date has made Rothman more optimistic about the upcoming quartet of Beatles movies. (Wonder what the promotional tie-in will be there—a new edition of Beatles Rock Band?)

But because Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s words about rain falling in every life hold true even for Hollywood power brokers, Rothman does acknowledge the less-than-awesome development that led to Sony losing David Fincher’s Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood follow-up. It’s basically what was guessed at the time—Fincher’s exclusive deal with Netflix means the