Freaky Director Christopher Landon Blasts Same-Day Streaming Releases

While there are several reasons fans probably won't be getting a "Freaky 2" led by director Christopher Landon, one aspect that has to factor in is the poor box office returns the original had. The critically acclaimed feature, which was Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, raked in a measly $3.6 million for its opening weekend with a cumulative total of just $9 million at the domestic box office (via Box Office Mojo). Christopher Landon, who also directed the two "Happy Death Day" films, believes releasing "Freaky" on Peacock not only slaughtered its chances to be successful at the box office, but the experience had a significantly negative impact on everyone involved, especially the filmmaker himself.

After the dismal numbers for "Halloween Ends" started coming out, Landon vented his frustration with the entire ordeal on Twitter, saying, "Studios: stop gambling with filmmakers and their movies to try and prop up your fledgling streaming services. This happened to me on Freaky and it destroyed us... I begged the studio not to do this... At least the Halloween folks were made whole. We got hosed. So yeah... bitter subject. PTSD."

But Landon isn't the only filmmaker to speak out against the method, with big names like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve (via Variety) also voicing their disdain for the strategy. While many continue to wonder how long the streaming theater release combo will continue, the one thing that appears certain is the number of filmmakers who have either criticized or had bad experiences with the method continues to grow.