HOLLYWOOD - Some of Britain's largest cinema chains have pulled
the Ben Stiller comedy Night at the Museum from their screens in
protest against Twentieth Century Fox's plan to push forward the
film's DVD release.
According to Variety magazine, Fox aims to sell the DVD version of
the film in British stores starting April 2, breaking the
four-month gap between cinema and DVD releases that is generally
accepted as a minimum in the industry.
The film was released in Britain on Dec. 26--fewer than 100 days
before the DVD's proposed release date.
A spokeswoman for Odeon, Britain's largest cinema chain with more
than 840 screens, says, "As of today we are no longer going to be
showing the film on our screens.
Fox executive Christian Grass says, "This is a one-off decision
based on seasonality. We believe in retaining healthy windows and
our track record speaks for itself. Our average window from
theatrical release to home video release is over five months."