Today, I had an email regards the film Goosebumps. I found it odd as it was promoting the release of the DVD, yet it’s not in cinemas until Friday. (Unless you went to the preview screenings this weekend)
Then, I saw where to buy the DVD and it included Best Buy and Wal-Mart! I’d clearly signed up to the film’s US email distribution list. So potentially I could see the film on DVD, before it even was on general release in the UK, if I was in America or had a region free DVD player, which I don’t!
The film actually did very well in the US taken over $100m but it didn’t do it recently, Goosebumps opened in America on the 3Rd October last year!
So whilst we get to see Jack Black in Goosebumps on our cinemas screens on Friday, the US can hear him instead voicing Po in Kung Fu Panda 3!
What’s that, you were going to see Goosebumps but as you love Po you want to see King Fu Panda 3 instead….Sorry, Po fans, whilst he is topping the US box office at present, he doesn’t kung fu his way onto UK screens until March 11th
A much shorter gap than Goosebumps to wait, but a wait none the less!
I had the longest wait for a film last year, when on 13th October 2014, Keanu Reeves returned to great form with John Wick. Having seen the trailer I could not wait to see the film, but it didn’t arrive in UK cinemas until a staggering 8 months later, in April 2015
Sadly, it can be even worse for other films: Snowpiercer starring Chris Evans; Jamie Bell; Ed Harris; Tilda Swinton and John Hurt and from Joon Ho Bong; director of the excellent Korean creature feature The Host, was released in the US in July 2014. But as it didn’t set the screen alight, it hasn’t found its way to the UK for cinema or home viewing to this date.
Of course, sometimes it does make financial sense to not have the same release date as to tie in with school holidays etc. I recall getting to see Disney’s Mulan, a week earlier than my friends, as I was working in Scotland at the time, and their school holidays started a week earlier.
Of course, it does work both ways, Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened a day earlier in the UK and the Emma Watson film; Regression, opened here in the UK last October but opens in the US this Friday.
Forthcoming big releases and on the BMAF must see list, Deadpool and Zoolander 2 are getting the same release date, both in the UK and the US so it certainly can be done at the same time.
This is an issue that has been raised only recently, due to apps allowing UK users to get US content on Netflix which isn’t available due to licensing; Sky has UK rights to a show for example.
Of course, I’m not saying every film needs to be released as the same time, would be good though wouldn’t it? But blockbusters should be shared, and anything that can damage the pirates has to be a bonus, surely?
What do you think? Do you mind waiting for a film, or do you want to see it as soon as possible if it’s available elsewhere?
We would love to here from you at Barking Mad About Films
Never miss a BMAF blog. Receive email notifications when new posts are published by entering your email address in the subscription box on the top right-hand side of this page.