Me and Orson Welles Release
What month was this film released in theaters?
What month was Me and Orson Welles released in theaters?
Select footage of Me and Orson Welles was screened at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival where financing and sales agency Cinetic Media were looking to sell the film to a distributor. Before its Cannes premiere, The Hollywood Reporter predicted that the film would attract distributors with Linklater's resume and Efron's teen "heartthrob" status to appeal to a younger demographic, but Me and Orson Welles failed to secure any American acquisitions. Its first full screening was at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, running September 4-13, 2008. In spite of its failure to find a buyer at Cannes, Toronto's co-director Cameron Bailey predicted that it would be "one of the hottest films" in the lineup, Anne Thompson of Variety magazine also believed that the film would be one of "only a few lucky winners" to secure a seven-figure deal.  Again, however, the film's distribution rights were not purchased and it went on to show at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. In May 2009, production company CinemaNX announced that it would distribute Me and Orson Welles itself, sharing marketing and advertising costs with Vue Entertainment. Freestyle Releasing was hired as the US distributor with Hart/Lunsford Pictures in exchange for participation in revenues paid the $4 million prints and advertising cost.  It was screened at the Woodstock Film Festival in September 2009, where Linklater was honored as the winner of the 2009 Maverick Award. it opened the New Orleans Film Festival on October 9, 2009; and it was screened at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November 2009.  The film was released in the US on November 25, 2009, and in the UK on December 4, 2009. IndieWIRE reported, "The do-it-yourself release of Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles got off to a very nice start, averaging $15,910 from its four theaters, the highest PTA of all debuting films. ... While Orson Welles is one the first examples of such a high-profile film going to the DIY route, if it proves successful, it's going to be done a lot more in the future." CANNOTANSWER
The film was released in the US on November 25, 2009,
Me and Orson Welles is a 2008 period drama film directed by Richard Linklater and starring Zac Efron, Christian McKay, and Claire Danes. Based on Robert Kaplow's novel of the same name, the story, set in 1937 New York, tells of a teenager hired to perform in Orson Welles's groundbreaking stage adaptation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar who becomes attracted to a career-driven production assistant.

The film was shot in London and New York and on the Isle of Man in February, March and April 2008, and was released in the United States on November 25, 2009, and the United Kingdom on December 4, 2009.

McKay's portrayal of Welles was recognized with a multitude of accolades, and Me and Orson Welles was named one of the top ten independent films of the year by the National Board of Review.

Plot
In New York City in the fall of 1937, 17-year-old high-school student Richard Samuels meets Orson Welles, who unexpectedly offers him the role of Lucius in Caesar, the first production of his new Mercury Theatre repertory company. The company is immersed in rehearsals at its Broadway theater. Charmed by Welles, Richard learns that he is having an affair with the leading actress while his wife is pregnant. Richard finds ambitious production assistant Sonja Jones is attracted to him.

Welles tells Richard a few days before the premiere that he is worried, because he has recently had nothing but good luck; he fears that he will finally have bad luck with the premiere, and that the play will be a flop. During rehearsals Richard accidentally sets off the sprinkler system, soaking the entire theatre. When accused by Welles he denies having anything to do with the deluge, and suggests that the catastrophe was the bad luck that Welles needed to get out of the way.

Welles decides the entire production crew would benefit from a coupling game, and Richard cheats to ensure he is paired with Sonja. Richard spends the night with Sonja, but becomes jealous when she spends the next night with Welles. He confronts Welles, mentions his pregnant wife, and is fired. An apparent reconciliation follows, and Richard performs on the first night. The anti-fascist adaptation of Caesar is a huge success, but after the premiere, Richard is told that Welles only needed him in order to secure a successful first-night production and, that done, he has again been fired.

The broken-hearted but wiser Richard spontaneously recites lines from Julius Caesar in his high school English class, to his classmates' applause. He later meets up with a likely new girlfriend, Gretta Adler, a young aspiring playwright whom he met in a music store at the film's beginning. With Richard's and Sonja's assistance, Adler manages to get a story published in The New Yorker, and she invites Richard out, to help her celebrate.

Cast

 Zac Efron as Richard Samuels
 Christian McKay as Orson Welles
 Claire Danes as Sonja Jones
 Ben Chaplin as George Coulouris
 James Tupper as Joseph Cotten
 Eddie Marsan as John Houseman
 Leo Bill as Norman Lloyd
 Kelly Reilly as Muriel Brassler
 Patrick Kennedy as Grover Burgess
 Travis Oliver as John Hoyt
 Zoe Kazan as Gretta Adler
 Al Weaver as Sam Leve
 Saskia Reeves as Barbara Luddy
 Imogen Poots as Lorelei Lathrop
 Rhodri Orders as Stefan Schnabel
 Michael Brandon as Les Tremayne
 Janie Dee as Mrs Samuels

Production

Holly Gent and Vincent Palmo Jr. adapted the film's screenplay from Robert Kaplow's novel of the same name about a teenager (in reality, the 15-year-old Arthur Anderson, who played Lucius in Welles' production) involved in the founding of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre. After receiving funding from CinemaNX, a production company backed by the Isle of Man film fund, and an offer from Framestore Features to co-finance the film, Richard Linklater came on board to direct Me and Orson Welles. Zac Efron signed on as the lead in early January 2008, claiming he decided to take the role of Richard Samuels because "It's a completely different project than I've ever done before," while Claire Danes joined the cast as the protagonist's love interest Sonja Jones in late January.

In the theatre, Christian McKay had portrayed Orson Welles in the one-man play Rosebud: The Lives of Orson Welles at a number of venues, including the Edinburgh Festival and King's Head (London). He reprised the role in the U.S. at the 2007 "Brits Off Broadway" festival, where Linklater saw his performance and then cast McKay as Welles, retaining him over the subsequent objections of the project's producer.

Me and Orson Welles underwent filming in the Isle of Man, Pinewood Studios, London and New York from February to April 2008. Filming in London commenced first in mid-February, before scenes in the Isle of Man were shot February 24–March 14, 2008, where filming locations included Gaiety Theatre and various other parts of Douglas. During filming in Douglas, Efron and Danes believe they sighted a ghost, or "supernatural" being, outside a window on set at Gaiety Theatre.

Filming in Britain resumed in late March for six weeks at Pinewood Studios. Other locations included Crystal Palace Park, where a façade of New York's Mercury Theatre was set up for a scene. Actor James Tupper claimed that the best replica of an old New York theater was in England, while many of the actors who filled the company were from the Royal Shakespeare Company. The production crew only briefly visited New York; photographs were taken and footage shot to be added into the film as digital effects. Every exterior shot was filmed on a single street built at Pinewood Studios with a green screen at one end; different angles and slightly altered set designs were used between shots to make the street appear different each time.

Release
Select footage of Me and Orson Welles was screened at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival where financing and sales agency Cinetic Media were looking to sell the film to a distributor. Before its Cannes premiere, The Hollywood Reporter predicted that the film would attract distributors with Linklater's résumé and Efron's teen "heartthrob" status to appeal to a younger demographic, but Me and Orson Welles failed to secure any American acquisitions. Its first full screening was at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, running September 4–13, 2008. In spite of its failure to find a buyer at Cannes, Toronto's co-director Cameron Bailey predicted that it would be "one of the hottest films" in the lineup, Anne Thompson of Variety magazine also believed that the film would be one of "only a few lucky winners" to secure a seven-figure deal.

Again, however, the film's distribution rights were not purchased and it went on to show at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. In May 2009, production company CinemaNX announced that it would distribute Me and Orson Welles itself, sharing marketing and advertising costs with Vue Entertainment. Freestyle Releasing was hired as the US distributor with Hart/Lunsford Pictures in exchange for participation in revenues paid the $4 million prints and advertising cost.

It was screened at the Woodstock Film Festival in September 2009, where Linklater was honored as the winner of the 2009 Maverick Award. it opened the New Orleans Film Festival on October 9, 2009; and it was screened at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November 2009.

The film was released in the US on November 25, 2009, and in the UK on December 4, 2009. IndieWIRE reported, "The do-it-yourself release of Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles got off to a very nice start, averaging $15,910 from its four theaters, the highest PTA of all debuting films. ... While Orson Welles is one of the first examples of such a high-profile film going to the DIY route, if it proves successful, it's going to be done a lot more in the future."

Reception

Box office
During its theatrical release (November 25, 2009 – February 25, 2010), Me and Orson Welles grossed a total of $1,190,003 in the United States and $2,336,172 worldwide.

Critical response
The film has received positive reviews from critics. It currently holds an 85% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 156 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Me and Orson Welles boasts a breakout performance by Christian McKay and an infectious love of the backstage drama that overcomes its sometimes fluffy tone." It holds a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 on Metacritic from 30 critics.

Film critic Roger Ebert called Me and Orson Welles "one of the best movies about the theater I've ever seen ... not only entertaining but an invaluable companion to the life and career of the Great Man". Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film for its "terrific acting" and called it "a must for lovers and students of the theater". Variety magazine's Todd McCarthy labelled McKay's performance "an extraordinary impersonation" of Welles, though he wrote that "Efron never feels like a proper fit for Richard". Karen Durbin of The New York Times praised McKay in the Welles role, saying he brought "a watchful, assessing and subtly excited gaze that makes him thrilling and a little dangerous."

"I've never seen a backstage movie that was truer to the experience of putting on a show," wrote Wall Street Journal drama critic Terry Teachout, who reserved special praise for the design team's recreation of Welles's production of Julius Caesar:

Like most Welles stage shows, alas, this one left few traces. No part of the production was filmed, and nothing else survives but the design sketches and some still photographs taken in 1937. ... What makes Me and Orson Welles uniquely interesting to scholars of American drama is that Mr. Linklater's design team found the Gaiety Theatre on the Isle of Man. This house closely resembles the old Comedy Theatre on 41st Street, which was torn down five years after Julius Caesar opened there. Using Samuel Leve's original designs, they reconstructed the set for Julius Caesar on the Gaiety's stage. Then Mr. Linklater filmed some 15 minutes' worth of scenes from the play, lit according to Jean Rosenthal's plot, accompanied by Marc Blitzstein's original incidental music and staged in a style as close to that of the 1937 production as is now possible.

Teachout wrote that he "was floored by the verisimilitude of the results", and that "you will never get any closer to the Welles Julius Caesar than by watching Me and Orson Welles, whose DVD version also includes a special feature comprising footage of the reconstructed scenes, not all of which made the final cut."

In 2015, Mercury actor Norman Lloyd (who is portrayed by Leo Bill in the film) praised Christian McKay's performance as Orson Welles as "the best rendition of him I've ever seen." However, he otherwise "hated" the film and he criticized the accuracy of the characters: "It bears no relation to truth, or to what happened when you worked with Orson and so forth. I thought McKay was very good, but the rest of the characters are just ridiculous. They're all made up! I didn't even recognize myself ... and then I thought, Well, thank goodness I can't!" Lloyd named George Coulouris as an example, who was shown as "neurotic and afraid to do his scene", while in reality he was someone "you couldn't stop from acting, for Christ's sake!".

Accolades
Me and Orson Welles was named one of the top ten independent films of 2009 by the National Board of Review. It was listed as one of the year's top ten films by critics including Philip French of The Observer, David Denby of The New Yorker, and Michael Phillips and A. O. Scott of At the Movies.

The film earned two awards from the Austin Film Critics Association – the Austin Film Award to director Richard Linklater. and the Breakthrough Artist Award to Christian McKay. McKay received many accolades for his portrayal of Orson Welles, including Best Supporting Actor awards from the San Francisco Film Critics Circle and the Utah Film Critics Association. He received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actor nominations from the Boston Society of Film Critics (second place), Broadcast Film Critics Association, Chicago Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, Denver Film Critics Society, Detroit Film Critics Society, Houston Film Critics Society, International Cinephile Society, National Society of Film Critics, New York Film Critics Circle (second place), Online Film & Television Association, Toronto Film Critics Association, and in the Chlotrudis Awards, Independent Spirit Awards and the Village Voice Film Poll (second place). McKay was nominated in the Best Actor category in the Evening Standard British Film Awards, London Critics Circle Film Awards and 2009 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards.

Home media
On August 17, 2010, Warner released Me and Orson Welles on DVD () for exclusive sale at Target in the United States. Entertainment One Films released the DVD in Canada on the same date. The film has not been released on Blu-ray in the U.S., though it is available in the format in Italy and Germany.

Soundtrack
The original motion picture soundtrack for Me and Orson Welles was released on CD November 24, 2009, by Decca Records (5323762).
 "This Year's Kisses", Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
 "I'm Shooting High", Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra
 "Sing, Sing, Sing", Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
 "One O'Clock Jump", Count Basie and His Orchestra
 "Ode to Krupa", Michael J McEvoy
 "Let's Pretend There's a Moon", Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra featuring Eddi Reader
 "Let's Pretend There's a Moon", Christian McKay
 "Let Yourself Go", Ginger Rogers
 "Solitude", The Mills Brothers
 "Aftershow Jam", Michael J McEvoy featuring Huw Morgan on trumpet
 "They Can't Take That Away from Me", Fred Astaire
 "In a Sentimental Mood" (Instrumental), Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
 "The Music Goes Round and Round", Tommy Dorsey and His Clambake Seven
 "I Surrender Dear", Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra featuring Eddi Reader
 "You Made Me Love You", Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra featuring Eddi Reader
 "Have You Met Miss Jones?", James Langton and His Solid Senders
 "Sing, Sing, Sing", James Langton and His Solid Senders

References

External links
 
 
 
 
 Interview with Arthur Anderson

2008 films
2000s comedy-drama films
British films
British comedy-drama films
American comedy-drama films
2000s English-language films
Films directed by Richard Linklater
Films about Orson Welles
Films based on American novels
Films set in 1937
Films set in New York City
Films shot in England
Films about actors
Films about theatre
American films
Julius Caesar (play)
Films shot in the Isle of Man
2008 comedy films
2008 drama films
Twenty-four feature films have been released based on the manga and anime series Case Closed, known as  in the rest of the world. The first seven were directed by Kenji Kodama, films eight to fourteen were directed by Yasuichiro Yamamoto, films fifteen to twenty-one were directed by Kobun Shizuno, film twenty-two were directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa, and films twenty-three and twenty-four are directed by Chika Nagaoka. The films have been released in April of each year starting in 1997, excluding 2020. Each film features an original plotline rather than being an adaptation of the manga's story. Two film comics were released for each film. Funimation Entertainment released an English dubbed version of the first six films retaining the same name and story changes as its main Case Closed dub. Bang Zoom! Entertainment has begun to release English dubs of Case Closed films through Discotek Media, starting with the Episode One TV special.

Film series

The Time Bombed Skyscraper

The first film, Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper known as  in Japan, was released in Japanese theaters on April 19, 1997. It was partly based on Gosho Aoyama's planned ending for his previous series, Magic Kaito. In the movie, a chain of bombing cases occur around Tokyo and is related to Jimmy Kudo's past investigations. The Time Bombed Skyscraper was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment on October 3, 2006.

The Fourteenth Target

The second film, Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target known as , in Japan, was released to Japanese theaters on April 18, 1998. The film follows Conan Edogawa as he attempts to stop a murderer killing people in an unknown order. The Fourteenth Target was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment on November 20, 2007.

The Last Wizard of the Century

The third film, Case Closed: The Last Wizard of the Century, known as  in Japan, was released to Japanese theaters on April 17, 1999. This movie follows Conan Edogawa as he attempts to thwart Phantom Thief Kid's plan to steal a newly discovered Faberge egg. The Last Wizard of the Century was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment on December 15, 2009.

Captured in Her Eyes

The fourth film, Case Closed: Captured in Her Eyes, known as  in Japan, was released to Japanese theaters on April 22, 2000. Rachel Moore becomes entangled in a series of murder cases where police officers of a reopened case were victims; She was able to see the culprit but the trauma of witnessing an attempt at murder gave her amnesia and made herself a target of the killer. Captured in Her Eyes was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment on December 29, 2009.

Countdown to Heaven

The fifth film, Case Closed: Countdown to Heaven, known as  in Japan, was released to Japanese theaters on April 21, 2001. A Twin Tower is built and opened to the public while a murderer kills its employees one by one. At the same time, the Black Organization are searching for Shiho Miyano. Countdown to Heaven was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment on January 19, 2010.

The Phantom of Baker Street

The sixth film, Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Street, known as  in Japan, was released to Japanese theaters on April 20, 2002. The story follows Conan Edogawa and several children as they are trapped in Noah's Ark, a virtual reality game where death will result if they lose the game. The Phantom of Baker Street was released in North America on Region 1 DVD by Funimation Entertainment on February 16, 2010.

Crossroad in the Ancient Capital

The seventh film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 19, 2003. The movie follows Conan and Hattori Heiji in Kyoto as they attempt to unmask antique robbers.

Magician of the Silver Sky

The eighth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 17, 2004. The movie follows a poisoning case on an airliner where  both the pilot and co-pilot were also affected, Conan Edogawa and Phantom Thief Kid are forced to take control of the plane.

Strategy Above the Depths

The ninth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 9, 2005. The movie is set on a cruise ship and integrates the murder of the shipbuilder and a shipwreck disaster.

The Private Eyes' Requiem

The tenth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 15, 2006. The plot revolves around Conan Edogawa's investigation of an old murder case as his friends are held hostage in an amusement park.

Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure

The eleventh film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 21, 2007. The movie follows Conan Edogawa as he investigates the murder of two scuba divers searching for the alleged treasure left by pirate Anne Bonny on a Japanese island.

Full Score of Fear

The twelfth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 19, 2008. The film follows Conan Edogawa as he attempts to discern the culprit targeting the lead singer for the grand opening of a new concert hall.

The Raven Chaser

The thirteenth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 18, 2009. In the movie, a new member of the Black Organization, Irish, manages to find out Conan Edogawa's identity, putting everyone around him in danger.

The Lost Ship in the Sky

The fourteenth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 17, 2010. In the film, Jirokichi Suzuki invites Conan Edogawa and his friends to ride the world's largest airship, but an unknown mysterious terrorist group hijacks the ship and releases a deadly virus.

Quarter of Silence

The fifteenth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 16, 2011. In the film, Conan Edogawa and his friends go to a town near a recently constructed dam to enjoy snow, as well as to find the truth behind a bombing case.

The Eleventh Striker

The sixteenth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 14, 2012. The story revolves around soccer and a timed bomb in the stadium.

Private Eye in the Distant Sea

The seventeenth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 20, 2013. The story follows a case that occurs on an Aegis vessel.

Dimensional Sniper

The eighteenth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 19, 2014. The story follows the FBI and Japanese Police as they try to stop a sniper causing chaos in Tokyō after killing a number of people.

Sunflowers of Inferno

The nineteenth film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 18, 2015. The movie revolves around the Kaito Kid's announcement of a heist, where he will steal Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" paintings. and Conan's attempts to discover the motives behind his sudden interest in the paintings, leading him to the possibility of an impostor posing as the Kaito Kid. Sunflowers of Inferno was released in the United States on Blu-ray by Discotek Media on January 25, 2022.

The Darkest Nightmare

The twentieth film, Case Closed: The Darkest Nightmare, known as  in Japan, was released to Japanese theaters on April 16, 2016. The movie features Akai, Bourbon and, RUM. The Detective Boys and Professor Agasa meet a woman with amnesia, who regains her memory after seeing beaming colourful light, leading the Men In Black to them. The Darkest Nightmare was released in North America on Blu-ray by Discotek Media on September 28, 2021.

Crimson Love Letter

The twenty-first film, Case Closed: Crimson Love Letter, known as  in Japan, was released to Japanese theaters on April 15, 2017. The case follows an incident in Kyoto, where Kazuha is entered into a card competition. Crimson Love Letter was released in North America on Blu-ray by Discotek Media on December 29, 2020.

Zero the Enforcer

The twenty-second film, Case Closed: Zero the Enforcer, known as  in Japan, was released to Japanese theaters on April 13, 2018. Out of nowhere, an explosion occurs at Tokyo. The police force tries to find the culprit of this mess, and end up suspecting Mouri Kogoro. Conan finds out that Amuro was the one who framed Kogoro and that Amuro is working with the NPA (National Police Agency). Conan must prove Kogoro's innocence, figure out who the real culprit is, and find out what Amuro is up to. Zero the Enforcer was released in North America on Blu-ray by Discotek Media on September 29, 2020.

The Fist of Blue Sapphire

The twenty-third film, , was released to Japanese theaters on April 12, 2019. The movie revolves around a Kaito Kid heist taking place in Singapore, the first time the primary setting is in another Asian country. The Fist of Blue Sapphire was released in North America on digital on March 16, 2021.

The Scarlet Bullet

The twenty-fourth film, , was supposed to be released to Japanese theaters on April 17, 2020, but was postponed to April 16, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie revolves around the Akai family as they and Conan investigate incidents that occur in Japan during the World Sports Games.

The Bride of Halloween
The twenty-fifth film, , will be released to Japanese theaters on April 15, 2022.

Spin-off films

Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan: The Movie

 was released to Japanese theaters on December 7, 2013. The plot follows Conan, who sets out to apprehend Arsène Lupin III, the suspect behind the theft of a jewel called the Cherry Sapphire. It is a sequel to the 2009 television special Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan.

Specials
The Disappearance of Conan Edogawa: His History's Worst Two Days, a television special which aired in Japan during 2014, was released as a theatrical film in South Korea on 12 February 2015.

Case Closed Episode One: The Great Detective Turned Small, known as , a television special which aired in Japan during 2016, was released as a theatrical film in South Korea on February 8, 2017. It was released in North America on Blu-ray by Discotek Media on July 28, 2020.

Detective Conan: The Scarlet Alibi, as , was a compilation film combining footage from various television anime episodes that center on the Akai family. It was released as a theatrical film with a three-week limited run in Japan from February 11 to March 4, 2021, before the release of Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet. The film was also released in Indonesia, Hongkong and Taiwan. In Vietnam, Detective Conan: The Scarlet Alibi was released to Japanese theaters online on YouTube by POPS in a limited one and a half month.

Box office performance

References
General
 

Specific

External links
 Official Detective Conan Movies Site 

Film series introduced in 1997
Case Closed (film series)

Japanese film series
Animated film series
Lists of anime films
Anime film series
Lists of films by franchise In the American motion picture industry, a wide release (short for nationwide release) is a film playing at the same time at cinemas in most markets across the country. This is in contrast to the formerly common practice of a roadshow theatrical release in which a film opens at a few cinemas in key cities before circulating among cinemas around the country, or a limited release in which a film is booked at fewer cinemas (such as "art house" venues) in larger cities in anticipation of lesser commercial appeal. In some cases, a film that sells well in limited release will then "go wide". Since 1994, a wide release in the United States and Canada has been defined by Nielsen EDI as a film released in more than 600 theaters.

The practice emerged as a successful marketing strategy in the 1970s, and became increasingly common in subsequent decades, in parallel with the expansion of the number of screens available at multiplex cinemas. With the switch to digital formats – lowering the added cost of wide release and increasing the opportunity for piracy – "opening wide" has become the default release strategy for big-budget mainstream films, sometimes expanding to include closely spaced wide releases in various countries, or even simultaneous world-wide release.

History
Prior to the 1980s, most feature films initially opened in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, with a small set of prints then circulating as a "roadshow" among cinemas regionally over the course of a few months. The number of prints in circulation would be increased only to accommodate demand for highly popular features, which might be "held over" beyond their originally scheduled run. Many of the most successful major releases during this period were handled this way.

In 1946, David O. Selznick's Duel in the Sun was given a "blitz" release, where it was released simultaneously in a number of theaters in an area or city, with it opening in as many as 54 theaters in one area at the same time. The "blitz" approach had been used for a number of years in the Los Angeles area due to its geographic spread. Advantages of the new release approach included economies of scale on advertising costs and the fact that it allowed an old circus technique of making money and leaving before cinemagoers could realize how bad a film was.  The following year, MGM used a "splash" approach on The Hucksters, opening in 350 theaters before expanding to 1,000 theaters a week later.

In 1952, Terry Turner of RKO introduced "saturation booking" (similar to nationwide release but on a regional scale) on a reissue of King Kong and then expanded this concept with Warner Bros.' The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), planning to have most of its bookings in its first two months, opening in New York and Los Angeles before expanding to 1,422 theaters within the first week.

Joseph E. Levine, a distributor/exhibitor based in Boston who had worked on the "blitz" release of Duel in the Sun, hired Turner and adopted a similar approach on the 1958 US release of the Italian film Attila, quickly moving 90 prints through regional distribution hubs, renting them to mostly low-end theaters where he could book short runs with favorable box office terms. Booking dense concentrations of venues in a region allowed for the effective use of costly local TV and radio spots. Levine was able to generate over $2 million in US box office theatrical rentals with runs averaging only ten days per screen. Warner Bros. then paid him a $300,000 advance to secure the distribution rights to Hercules. Released the following summer with over 600 prints (175 of these played simultaneously in the greater New York City area) with the assistance of Warner's nationwide network of print exchanges, the film secured $4.7 million in rentals.

In 1974, Tom Laughlin gave The Trial of Billy Jack, a sequel to his independently distributed Billy Jack, one of the widest releases to date, opening in 1,200 theatres in the United States on November 13. The following year, Breakout was the first major studio film to go into wide release in its opening week, with Columbia Pictures distributing 1,325 prints nationwide, combined with a heavy national advertising campaign. The following month, Jaws was released in a similar way on 409 screens, expanding to nearly 1,000 by mid-August in conjunction with nationwide advertising. The modest success of Breakout and the blockbuster success of Jaws led other distributors to follow suit with other mass-market films. In December 1980, Any Which Way You Can beat the record set by Breakout, opening in a record 1,541 theaters.

The growth in the number and size of multiplexes since the 1980s, increasing the availability of screens with more flexible scheduling, facilitated this strategy and, together with the reduction in the number of movie palaces, saw an end to the roadshow release strategy. In 1984, Beverly Hills Cop was the first film playing simultaneously on more than 2,000 screens in the United States and Canada, in its third weekend in December. In 1990, 13 films were shown on 2,000 screens simultaneously, and in 1993 the number had almost doubled to 24. In 1993, 145 films (41% of films released) received a wide release in the United States and Canada with an average widest point of release of 1,493 engagements with 29% of the films' grosses coming from their opening week. 

In May 1996, Mission: Impossible was the first film to be released in over 3,000 theaters in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, Showgirls (1995) was the first film with an NC-17 rating to have a wide release in the United States, opening in 1,388 theaters. In 1996, 67 films were released on more than 2,000 screens and by 1997, the average widest point of release for wide release films in the United States and Canada had reached 1,888 engagements with 37% of the films' grosses coming from their opening week. By 2000, 22 films were released on more than 3,000 screens in the year, while the average widest point of release had increased to 2,228.

By 2002, opening globally on the same day became more commonplace, with Spider-Man being released on 7,500 screens at 3,615 theaters in the United States and Canada and 838 prints in 18 other countries. The same month, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones opened in 3,161 theaters in the United States and Canada, and in 73 other countries on 5,854 screens. In 2003, 20th Century Fox released X2, the second installment of the X-Men film series, in 3,741 theaters in the United States and Canada, and in 93 markets on 7,316 screens overseas. Later that year, Warner Bros. released the third Matrix film, The Matrix Revolutions,  simultaneously in 108 territories on November 5, 2003 at 1400 Greenwich Mean Time on around 18,000 screens with 10,013 prints overseas and in 3,502 theaters in the United States and Canada. Shrek 2 became the first film to open in over 4,000 theaters in the United States and Canada in 2004. The Lion King set the record for the widest opening in the United States and Canada, being released in 4,725 theaters in 2019 before expanding two weeks later to 4,802 theaters.

Classification
Since 1994, a wide release in the United States and Canada has been defined by EDI as a film released in more than 600 theaters. In 1996, Variety considered a wide release as a film with 700 or more playdates or a film in the top 50 markets with at least 500 playdates. New Line distribution president Mitch Goldman called the term a misnomer as he claimed that a film needed to open in more than 800 theaters to be considered a wide release but that such a film might not even play the top cities and that a film could open in the top 50 markets with just 600 prints and be in wide release.

See also
 Art film
 Film release

References

Further reading
 Dade Hayes and Jonathan Bing, Open Wide: How Hollywood Box Office Became a National Obsession, Miramax Books, 2004. ()

Films by type