Russo Brothers Call Going to the Movies 'Elitist' Upon Release of Their Netflix Flick
Have superhero directors Anthony Russo and Joseph Russo changed their thoughts on movie theater releases? The Russo Brothers were behind two of Marvel's highest-grossing movies, Infinity War and Endgame, before shifting to streaming releases. Their last two directorial projects include Cherry, which was released via Apple TV on March 12, 2021, and The Gray Man, which hits Netflix audiences on July 22, 2022.
Both movies had limited theatrical releases, making its clear that its key demographic is those who stream from home—a viewing choice that grew wildly popular during the COVID pandemic. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the directing duo called going to the movie theaters an «elitist notion,» resulting in dividing reception among commentators and fans.
Related: Ryan Gosling Talks Challenging The Gray Man Role While Looking Forward To Sequel
When asked about the movie industry post-pandemic, Anthony Russo said that he'd like to see «everything» change. «What has always excited us most is [the question], how do you move it forward? This is part of our philosophy in terms of not being precious about theatrical distribution. How do you get away from the old models? How do you reach audiences that haven’t been engaged before? That’s all the most interesting stuff to us.»
In his response, Joe Russo reflected on how movie making has shifted over the decades. «Auteur filmmaking is 50 years old at this point. It was conceived in the ’70s. We grew up on that. We were kids, it was really important to us.» He also stated the importance of accepting change—perhaps a dig at the big name directors who have villainized the growth of streaming releases: Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins who said streaming movies look «fake»
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