George Clooney, Brad Pitt disappointed their new film skips cinemas

By Crispian Balmer

VENICE (Reuters) - Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney and Brad Pitt admit they are disappointed their latest comedy "Wolfs" is not getting a broad cinema release and instead heading almost straight onto Apple TV.

"It is a bummer," Clooney said on Sunday, adding that television streamers, such as Apple, were nevertheless vital to the future of filmmaking, presenting actors with opportunities and generating bigger audiences for their work.

"Streaming, we need it, our industry needs this," he said.

Written and directed by Jon Watts, "Wolfs" is an old-fashioned crime caper with Clooney and Pitt playing lone-wolf professional fixers who are forced to work together with comically unfortunate consequences.

Apple originally signalled it would place the film in a large number of cinemas before the TV release, but instead opted to show it briefly in a restricted number of U.S. movie theatres and then run it on its global TV service.

"We'll always be romantic about the theatrical experience. At the same time, I love the existence of the streamers because we get to see more story, we get to see more talent, it gets more eyes," said Pitt. "It's a delicate balance right now and it'll right itself."

Asked what it meant if two of the biggest names in the business could not get a broad cinema release, as they had requested, Clooney quipped: "Clearly we're declining."

Sixteen years after last appearing together in 2008's Coen brothers' comedy "Burn After Reading", Pitt and Clooney said they jumped at the chance to reunite when they read Watts' script for "Wolfs".

"I got to say, just as I get older, just working with the people that I just really enjoy spending time with has really become important to me," said Pitt, who turned 60 last year.

In a news conference full of light-hearted banter, Clooney, said Pitt, was fortunate still to be offered parts. "He's 74 years-old and he's very lucky at this age to still be working."

On a more serious note, he denied a New York Times story in August that said both he and Pitt had been paid more than $35 million each to appear in the film.

"I'm only saying that because I think it's bad for our industry if that's what people think is the standard bearer for salaries. I think that's a terrible thing. It will make it impossible to make a film," he said.

"Wolfs" is showing out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, which runs until Sept. 7.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by Barbara Lewis)