Thread by @Variety

Why are movies so long now? variety.com/2022/film/feat…

In an age when there’s no shortage of entertainment options, directors, producers or executives don’t need anyone to exit a movie and think: “It was good, but it was way too long.” bit.ly/3t1kPyG

It may not be scientifically proven, but sometimes it feels like movies are, indeed, getting longer. Many of this year’s biggest releases may as well have run forever and a day. bit.ly/3t1kPyG

#NoTimeToDie: 2 hours, 43 minutes
#SpiderManNoWayHome: 2 hours, 28 minutes
#Dune: 2 hours, 35 minutes
#Eternals: 2 hours, 37 minutes
#TheLastDuel: 2 hours, 32 minutes
bit.ly/3t1kPyG

When #TheBatman opens in theaters, comic book movie fans will get to spend nearly three hours in Gotham City with Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader. The film’s runtime is two hours and 47 minutes without credits. bit.ly/3t1kPyG

When directors sign on to major studio movies, they have a contractual obligation to deliver it at 2 hours. It’s almost unspoken that nobody pays attention to the rule, but it protects studios should a filmmaker deliver a movie at a truly egregious length. bit.ly/3t1kPyG

“You sign it, and then you ignore it,” says Jon Turteltaub, the director of Nicolas Cage’s action-adventure series #NationalTreasure and the Jason Statham-led shark epic #TheMeg. bit.ly/3t1kPyG

“Studios don’t enforce it, and producers don’t either, because they’ll eventually get it to the right length,” says Jonathan Glickman, a producer and former MGM Motion Picture Group president. bit.ly/3t1kPyG

So then why, after all this careful consideration, does it still feel taxing to watch some movies?

Many executives blame it on the rush to meet a release date; there’s less time to make surgical edits that would prevent moviegoers from dozing off. bit.ly/3t1kPyG

“No movie is good because it’s long, and no movie is good because it’s short,” Turteltaub says. “But I’d rather see a short, s---ty movie than a long one.” bit.ly/3t1kPyG