The Promise is Great: the Blockbuster and the Hollywood Economy

This article examines the characteristic features of the blockbuster in terms of its importance to the Hollywood economy and its proven ability to reduce the factors of uncertainty regarding performance in the theatres. The saturation strategy is analysed as the typical release pattern of blockbusters, illustrating the strategic role of the open- ing weekend and how it has deeply revolutionized the film industry’s production, release and screening stages.