Some of Hollywood's top studios are planning to deliver feature films directly to consumers via high-speed Internet connections, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal reported today (Thursday), citing executives at the studios.

The Times said that Sony is currently working on a movie site that should become operational next year, while Disney and 20th Century Fox are jointly working on a separate site.

The WSJ said that Paramount might join the Disney/Fox Internet venture. Yair Landau, president of Sony Pictures Digital entertainment, confirmed the studio's plans, telling the WSJ, "People want to see movies on the Internet, and we, along with other studios, plan to give them a chance to do that."

In reporting on the studios' plans, the Times observed that they "could eventually change the economics throughout the movie industry, affecting theaters, video stores and television networks that rely on current releases."

According to both reports, Sony's system will allow consumers to download an average feature via high-speed telephone or cable lines in about an hour.

Source: Studio Briefing