One of the regular questions I get via mail is when Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” will be available on VOD.
Well, today we had it confirmed that on February 21st it’ll be available on-demand. Of course, you have to watch the film on the big screen, it’s meant to be seen in theatres, but I do know not everyone has the luxury of doing so.
Audiences seem to like Chazelle’s epic way more than critics: a 7.6 on IMDB and 3.9 on Letterboxd. Don’t miss it. However, “Babylon” only made $15 million domestically, on a budget rumoured to be anywhere between $80-100 million.
Last we heard, Paramount stood to lose close to $200 million on the damn thing. Those estimated losses of $200 million will be up there with the very worst ever. “John Carter” ($200 million), “The Lone Ranger” ($190 million), “Mortal Engines” ($184 million). The only difference between those and Chazelle’s epic is that “Babylon” is actually a good movie.
When I compared “Babylon” to Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate” last month, I was being very serious. This was a major gamble for Paramount and thank the cinematic heavens they had “Top Gun: Maverick” make $1.7 billion this year because otherwise they’d be in a slightly disastrous situation.
Gyllenhaal says women face systemic barriers in an industry that may not value the kinds of films they want to make. Roy Price’s response? Watch “The Bride.”