MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Releasing of India and Percept Picture Company (PPC) will release 600 prints of Spider-Man 3.
Businessofcinema.com was the first to report that Sony and Percept have struck a distribution deal for the movie. A total of $ 10 million will be infused in the first year for the company’s foray into Hollywood and Bollywood film distribution, building infrastructure, appointing man power and acquisition of content.
Spider-Man 3 releases on 4 May 2007 in India and worldwide. The high number of prints will set a record for the highest ever Hollywood film print distribution in India, after the James Bond movie Casino Royale, which was released with 450 prints.
From a total of 600 prints, PPC will distribute approximately 450 prints through their network, which will be seen at 550 screens. The remaining prints will be distributed by Sony in the southern territory in the English, Tamil and Telugu languages.
Says Sony Pictures Releasing of India CEO Uday Singh, “We expect Spider-Man 3 to gross close to Rs 750 – 800 million (Rs 75-80 crore) in India and 50 per cent of this business will come from the South territories which lie with Sony itself.”
The Bhojpuri version will release with approximately 10 prints in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and some theatres in Mumbai. Revenue expectations from the Bhojpuri market are close to six to seven per cent of the total collections, say sources. A total of 150 prints of the Hindi dubbed version will be distributed.
“The Sony – Percept deal can be termed as a sensational transaction, because this is India’s largest Hollywood release ever for exhibition,” avers Percept Holdings joint managing director Shailendra Singh.
Talking about the strategy for circulation of prints, Percept Picture Company CEO Bedi says, “Percept is not looking at a first weekend business by flooding the market with prints. We believe in the quality of the content and hence don’t want to rush into first weekend business.”
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