Mark Wahlberg reportedly did not receive a warning about his Infinite movie’s streaming release on Paramount+. Although the box office is starting to blossom once again thanks to releases such as Godzilla vs. Kong, and Paramount themselves are finally releasing their much-anticipated A Quiet Place II in theatres, films are still feeling the effects of the new strategies put in place due to the pandemic. After Disney+ announced its Premier Access strategy and Warner Bros. stunned the industry with their simultaneous theater and HBO Max releases for 2021, Paramount followed suit by announcing some of its big releases, like Wahlberg’s Infinite, will debut on their newly launched (or rebranded) streaming service Paramount+.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and based on the D. Eric Maikranz novel The Reincarnationist Papers, Infinite tells the story of Evan McCauley (Wahlberg), who is haunted by memories that are not his. However, the group known as the Infinites then rescues Evan and informs him that the memories are from past lives, and as Evan learns the power of immortality, he has to fend off Chiwetel Ejiofor’s evil mastermind. Infinite is described as “a fun film” by ViacomCBS’ CEO Bob Bakish and is one that Bakish believes will create a “lot of noise” for the studio and streaming platform. However, unlike Paramount’s A Quiet Place II, it will not get the 45-day theatrical release and will go straight to Paramount+ instead, a decision reportedly made without warning Wahlberg and the team.
In a new feature from The Hollywood Reporter, which explores the new strategies that see new releases hitting growing streaming platforms, specifically HBO Max and Paramount+, often to the surprise of the creatives involved, it revealed the reaction to Infinite’s streaming release. According to the article, sources revealed that “Wahlberg, director Antoine Fuqua and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura had no inkling an announcement was coming.” The Hollywood Reporter continued by writing that Infinite’s team reportedly “received calls” from Paramount a day before the announcement that claimed Infinite’s move to Paramount+ was a “possibility.” The situation “was not handled well,” according to “one person close to the Infinite team.”
These announcements of films going straight to streaming platforms, especially ones that have high-profile names attached like Wahlberg and Fuqua, are always big news. They also continue to be met with mixed reactions, especially if they’re “not handled well.” Warner Bros. had a similar issue after their announcement in December, with Christopher Nolan criticizing the move, while Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu reportedly said he was “shell-shocked” after learning about Warner’s decision. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, these moves impact bonuses that stars like Wahlberg would likely make from the box office. Considering Wahlberg’s had his fair share of box office hits, the lack of communication of this move for Infinite would understandably frustrate the former Oscar nominee. It’s also unlikely that the “angry phone calls” the article mentions led to Wahlberg and co. receiving the type of money the Wonder Woman 1984 team received from WarnerMedia.
As he always does, Wahlberg continues to stay busy, as he’s filming Stu, a role the star has gain weight for, and a new still from his Uncharted film with Tom Holland has also been released. Now reportedly releasing in June, it remains to be seen the type of impact Infinite will have for Paramount+, and if it will create the “noise” Bakish is hoping it will. Also, with moves like Amazon buying MGM, one should expect even more notable direct-to-streaming releases. Hopefully, in the future, other creatives will receive more warning than Wahlberg and Infinite’s team did.
Source: THR