It’s a recurring criticism that Hollywood doesn’t seem to take into account: the films are too long. In the 1930s, they often lasted between 80 and 90 minutes. After the war, they regularly approached 100 minutes. In the 1960s, a 1 hour 40 minute show became the norm. But since the emergence of the Marvel phenomenon, it’s been an explosion. In 2018, the average length was 2:06. And in 2023, by some strange magic of numbers, this duration increased to 2:23.
Explanation from the studios: spectators are used to devouring series, and this new avalanche of images in theaters should therefore not disturb them. Big mistake. A Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans found that in the past month, they saw at least two movies in theaters that seemed endless. For them, the ideal length would be 92 minutes. Which corresponds quite well to the golden rule of Hollywood studios in the 1940s.
Only 15% of spectators accept films longer than 2 hours. A figure which drops to 2% as soon as we reach 2:30. This perhaps partly explains the failure of many blockbusters in recent years.
We saw the film Napoléon… at Waterloo: “It’s a personal and non-historical vision” declares the Emperor (Jean-Gérald Larcin)
But movie buffs will have to bite the bullet: Planet of the Apes: New Kingdom lasts 2 hours 25 minutes, Furiosa: a Mad Max saga 2:28 a.m. The count of Monte Cristo 2:53 a.m., while Deadpool and Wolverine is announced at more than two hours. Results that would be interesting to compare with the box office at the end of the summer.
