Warner Bros. Discovery Urges British Government To Consider Scrapping “Outdated” Exhibition Periods Law
16.11.2023 - 08:05
/ deadline.com
Warner Bros. Discovery has said British laws that restrict the period distributors can require exhibitors to screen their films may now be “outdated,” and it is time for the UK government to consider repealing the legislation.
The longtime Exhibition Periods law, codified in 1996, limits the period a distributor may require an exhibitor to show a film in the first six weeks of theatrical release to a maximum of two weeks.
Warner Bros. said that “given the move to digital exhibition and additional flexibility exhibitors have to show screenings,” the Periods law may no longer hold relevance, and scrapping the law may open up new sources of revenue for distributors.
Warner Bros. made the comments in a written submission to the UK Parliament’s influential Culture, Media, and Sport Committee, which is holding an inquiry on high-end film and TV.
The studio said: “By removing such a restriction, this may give theatrical distributors, including for independent British films, more confidence and incentive to release films theatrically because they may be able to negotiate a longer exhibition run with individual exhibitors.
“For example, generally speaking, most films generate the majority of their box office admissions in the first four weeks of release, and so the opportunity to secure an extra two weeks of exhibition may make a material difference as to whether some films are released theatrically and/or are able to justify an increased publicity and advertising campaign.”
Elsewhere in their submissions to the Committee, Warner Bros. said Greta Gerwig’s box office smash Barbie, the studio’s most successful theatrical release of all time, contributed over £80m in direct spend to the local economy and created 685 jobs during