Reprinted from The New York Times by on December 23, 2020.
… It’s been four and a half years since you last starred in a movie, and a lot has changed when it comes to streaming services: Your film is coming out on Netflix, and Warner Brothers just moved its entire theatrical slate for 2021 to HBO Max. What do you make of a move like that?
It feels like a decision from AT&T [Warner Brothers’ parent company], which is not a film company. I mean, I was at Warner Brothers for 20 years and under contract with them — it was a real star-friendly studio. It feels like all they’re trying to do is get HBO Max going, because you’re not going to recoup on movies like Dune that are designed to make a billion. I always figured the windows were going to get tighter as we moved forward, but this is a little crazy. But I think it’s going to be fine. I really do.
You do? Convince me.
People want to get out of their house — I got twins, man! And it’s still a great way to ask somebody out. Comedies are great in cinemas, scary movies are great in cinemas. So I don’t see it completely going away.
With box office out of the equation, and a streaming service that doesn’t necessarily report viewership numbers, how will you decide if The Midnight Sky is a success?
You’re right, that is a big difference. Maybe it’s good; I’ve had a lot of flops. Look, I’ll be 60 this year, and I get to be on a set with people I adore and work in a profession that I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to do. So I guess that’s sort of the victory in the whole thing. I didn’t have it for the early part of my life — I did jobs I hated and lived for the weekend. …
