Industry
OTTs chase star-led box office flops even as audience prefers content over faces
Summary
Streaming platforms continue acquiring star-led films that underperformed at the box office, focusing on names rather than content. Experts observe audience preferences increasingly prioritise quality over star power, changing how producers approach film projects.
Big star-led films such as Jigra, Khel Khel Mein, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha and Yodha that flopped at the box office are still being readily acquired by streaming platforms, which are known to otherwise control spending and turn cautious, with pressure on subscriptions and profitability.
The deals to acquire such titles were all struck when the films went on the floor on the star’s name itself and OTT services are still keen to have these faces as part of their portfolio, experts said.
“Some films may do better on OTT than in cinemas," said Girish Johar, film producer, trade and exhibition expert. “The title is also acquired for a period of five to 10 years and is hosted by the platform as lifetime content, which may hope to break even at a later date."
Although OTTs have given up films that failed at the box office in the past, in some cases, they now go ahead with the deals because of the stars and banner. Also, acquisition rates for movies are now based on a combination of an upfront fee and their box-office performance or viewership on the platform.
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In contrast though, audiences have rejected star films that did not deliver on content and no longer flock to cinema halls simply for popular faces.
“Pre-sales happened for these films because OTT platforms are still stalking big stars. But if you see the box-office numbers, audiences are clearly backing content over faces. Which means, the paradox is that producers are essentially making these films for OTTs," said a film producer on condition of anonymity.
The person added that the signal from the viewers is quite clear and is evident in the box-office collections of these films: Alia Bhatt-starrer Jigra finished at ₹30.7 crore at the domestic box office, Ajay Devgn’s Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha earned ₹8.6 crore this August, while Akshay Kumar’s Khel Khel Mein made ₹40.4 crore.
Minimum guarantee
Acquiring such films is part of the formula that OTT platforms have adopted, according to film producer Yusuf Shaikh.
“Producers feel secure when pre-sales are in place but then, they are not coming up with good products. On the other hand, platforms are taking the risk when a good director and actor are on board. Most deals are done on announcement itself," Shaikh explained.
Now though, platforms insist on a minimum guarantee and are linking the rest to the film’s box office.
“Platforms are still fighting over these big films. Plus, they don’t share internal data on viewership, so there is no real way to know how the films have performed," Shaikh added.
Also Read | Filmmakers look to de-risk projects, sign OTT deals as box office bombs
A senior executive at a streaming platform pointed out that OTT services have learnt their lesson, and most deals are done on a revenue-sharing basis where producers are paid per view that the film manages to clock in.
“There is also the assumption that a specific star may have a market in overseas territories. Also, movies are being bought individually and no longer can studios and producers bundle multiple titles from their slate together like they used to," the person said, admitting though that there is a preference for star-led films.
Johar said all platforms want premium talent on board and that is part of the reason that stars charge such high remuneration, knowing that projects will be sold on their name.
“If the film doesn’t work, some adjustments may be made in the next sale – it has to work both ways after all," Johar said.
