#INSIDE OUT MOVIE DVD RELEASE SERIES#
The Film Distributors Association and the Cinema Exhibitors Association have now embarked on a series of meetings to discuss the underlying issues.
That's not in the spirit of partnership." One cinema boss said, "Disney did try it with Up, but what got everybody so frustrated was that they played the movie in our cinemas first, and then unilaterally informed us they were changing the DVD date. Such is the sensitivity of the issue that neither side would talk on the record about the Up row. They even argue that the theatrical window guards against piracy, by delaying the release of perfect digital copies. The exhibitors, on the other hand, believe that would destroy the theatrical business, which is the only part of the distribution chain that's currently booming, and also drives DVD and TV values. Some studio executives believe the logic of digital distribution will ultimately demand that films get released in all media simultaneously – in cinemas, on DVD and online. A Christmas DVD release would have collapsed the window to two months, unprecedented for such a big blockbuster. With DVD and TV revenues declining, and internet piracy a growing problem, some Hollywood studios are keen to squeeze the release gap even further, in the hope of maximising their income, minimising their marketing costs and neutralising the pirates. The minimum window is currently four months, as defined by industry consensus rather than by law. This is just the latest episode in a growing global battle between studios and exhibitors over the theatrical window – the length of time between a film opening in cinemas and being released on DVD or for download.
The row has now been smoothed over, but the issue is not about to go away. One chain threatened an injunction, on the grounds that one Disney executive had previously guaranteed Up's February DVD date. Robert Zemeckis's motion-capture animation is currently enjoying a resurgence at the UK box-office in its sixth week of release. The Hollywood studio backed down after the cinemas said they would retaliate by pulling its A Christmas Carol off all their screens.
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