Opening Casino Jack

Abstract

Temple Fennell, CEO of ATO Pictures, recalled the distribution of ATO's first U.S. film, Casino Jack, starring Kevin Spacey. He reflected on the red carpet thrills during the opening week in December 2010, and the excitement surrounding Spacey's Golden Globe nomination. At the same time, he was reminded of the challenging decisions he and his team had had to make regarding the film's advertising and distribution. Excerpt UVA-QA-0827 Rev. Aug. 7, 2015 Opening Casino Jack Temple Fennell, CEO of ATO Pictures, recalled the distribution of ATO's first U.S. film, Casino Jack, starring Kevin Spacey. He reflected on the red carpet thrills during the opening week in December 2010, and the excitement surrounding Spacey's Golden Globe nomination. At the same time, he was reminded of the challenging decisions he and his team had had to make regarding the film's advertising and distribution. Fennell could have advertised nationally prior to the film's release, or he could have waited to see the audience and critic reactions before committing significant advertising dollars. The first option required a wider release of the film. The second option limited the initial release to a small number of screens. While Fennell had been sure there was no magic formula for box office success, he had believed that the historical data from hundreds of mostly independent films would provide insight into the options for ATO's next film. ATO Pictures and Casino Jack . . .