MUMBAI: PVR Pictures – the movie production and distribution arm of PVR Ltd., has become the first Indian distributor to release a movie parallel to its international release date. With the release of the film 9, which released world over on 9 September,2009.
Directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton & Timur Bekmambetov, 9 is an animation film. The film includes the voice star cast of Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau, Christopher Plummer and Crispin Glover.
Speaking to Businessofcinema.com about this achievement, PVR Limited joint managing director Sanjeev Bijli said, “It is a proud moment for us, as with 9 we have opened new doors of releasing quality & medium sized budget foreign films in India on their world-wide release dates. We acquired the rights from Focus Features which is an arm of the Universal Studio. It was challenging for us to convince them for a day and date release.”
9 has released nationally on one of the widest scales ever for any Indian distributor that brings PVR Pictures at par with International film studios. The film released mid week on a Wednesday, Bijli says, “The date 09.09.09 was so strong therefore we decided to release the film on the same day.”
By achieving a mid-week day date release films like 9 have significantly contributed in the process of reducing piracy and given India a platform to be recognized as an important market for the Hollywood studios. Bijli says, “ Releasing the big Hollywood films on the same day and date worldwide helps control piracy too.”
9 is the story of an underdog hero who believes in taking risks besides wishing to know the meaning of life. His mental dexterity helps him build his team whose mission begins after the human civilization becomes extinct.
