Viggo Mortensen Slams Amazon for Streaming His 2022 Ron Howard Film

Viggo Mortensen has openly criticized Amazon for its decision to abandon an extensive theatrical release for Ron Howard’s 2022 film “Thirteen Lives,” opting instead for a global streaming launch.

In a recent interview, Mortensen expressed his disappointment, describing the film as a “really good movie.” He highlighted that MGM initially planned a full theatrical release for the well-reviewed Thai cave rescue thriller, starring alongside Colin Farrell and Joel Edgerton. Mortensen added that after test screenings, the film received some of the highest scores in MGM’s history.

He revealed that the initial plan was to release “Thirteen Lives” in thousands of theaters worldwide. However, after Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, the company initially promised to honor the agreement made with Ron Howard but later reneged on it. This resulted in the film being shown in theaters in select cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and London for just a week before moving to Prime Video.

The movie, which launched on Prime Video on August 5, 2022, garnered positive reviews. Many critics favorably compared it to Howard’s earlier work, “Apollo 13.”

Mortensen accused Amazon of prioritizing profit over artistic integrity. “They have all their excuses for why they did that, but it comes down to greed,” he remarked. “How much money do you need? I think Amazon could certainly have respected the deal, as they said they were going to, and released it widely in theaters and let it have its run. And then they could have also made money streaming.”

He further opined that Amazon chose to save on promotional costs and avoid sharing box office revenue with theaters. “That’s what it comes down to. To me, it’s greed,” Mortensen said.

Mortensen also expressed his frustration regarding the decision, considering Ron Howard’s esteemed career. “For a guy with such a storied career like Ron Howard, who has made so much money for studios, who was so deservedly well-recognized as a filmmaker historically — to do that to a guy like him I think is appalling,” he stated. Mortensen emphasized that although Howard hadn’t complained publicly, he felt compelled to speak out. “I’m not speaking for him, I’m just speaking for myself. I think it was shameful what they did,” he added.

Further, Mortensen commented on the current landscape of film criticism. He argued that contemporary film reviews often lack critical depth and an understanding of film history and production processes. “In terms of the reviewer having some understanding of film history, how movies are made — the level is really low,” he lamented. He acknowledged that there are still some good reviewers, but overall, he finds the standard lacking.

From a director-producer perspective, Mortensen pointed out the importance of critical reception. “It matters to me more, a lot more than as an actor because the fate of the movie, whether it’s going to be distributed well, whether it’s going to be seen in movie theaters — a lot hangs in the balance as to how it’s received critically,” he explained.

Source: Vanity Fair