Film Producers & Multiplexes Face-Off Over Online Release of Films

Multiplexes insist that films shouldn’t be released online, as this will affect their business post lockdown.

Multiplexes and film producers ready for a face-off over online release of films.

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With the coronavirus pandemic taking a heavy toll on the cinema business, film producers and multiplexes are headed towards a clash as filmmakers are going towards the option of online release on films, on streaming services.

According to a report in The Economic Times, many cinema exhibitors are insisting that films shouldn’t be released on OTT platforms, as this will affect their business whenever the lockdown is lifted. They’ll even be ‘forced to think if they would want to do business with the producers/actors in the future’ in that scenario.

An executive of a multiplex chain said, “It’s a matter of survival. We are not against smaller films, which are meant to be released directly on streaming services, or films commissioned by Netflix or other such services, to not have a theatrical window. But at a time when we are forced to cease operations, if producers and actors don’t support us, we will have to deliberate if we want to support them in the future.”

The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) requested all its partners to support the theatres by releasing their films in the theatres after lockdown ends.

“We urge all studios, producers, artistes and other content creators, to kindly respect the exclusive theatrical window, which has been a time-tested industry practice, agreed upon by all stake-holders, not just in India, but even globally, for several decades,” the statement said.

Producers of films like Laxxmi Bomb, Gulabo Sitabo, Gunjan Saxena are already in talks with video streaming services like Hotstar, Amazon Prime and Netflix for the films to have an OTT release.

The producers are worried about the mounting costs as their films are ready to be released. “There is no certainty on when cinema screens will be allowed to operate again. Even after the lockdown is lifted, moviegoers might not want to visit cinema halls. We can’t just sit with a ready film till then, it costs us money every single day,” said a producer.