In a strategic twist, Warner Bros will now release Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers in French cinemas. Prime Video had previously planned to skip a French theatrical release for the tennis drama starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, and send it straight to its streaming platform locally. Following its release in theatres, the film will now have to wait 17 months before landing on Prime Video in France per the country’s media chronology.
While rumoured to be released on April 24 just ahead of its April 26 release date in the US via Amazon MGM Studios, a spokesperson for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) in France told Screen that the cinema release date has not yet been set.
Warner Bros is handling international distribution on the title, which was originally set to premiere theatrically in the US on September 15, 2023 after opening the Venice Film FEstival, but was pulled from the festival and had its release in cinemas pushed back because of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike that ruled out the cast promoting the film.
Courting change?
The move marks a shift in strategy for Prime Video in France that has until now opted for a subscriber-first model. Recent films such as Air, Saltburn and The Burial are Prime Video-only releases in the country in addition to local acquisition Michael Mann’s Ferrari that will not be released in French cinemas.
WBD’s own streaming service Max is set to land in France later this year. A spokesperson told Screen: “Our goal is to have as many subscribers as possible,” but added that release in cinemas is the company’s priority moving forward. “We’re committed to releasing our films in cinemas and that also applies to France,” the spokesperson said. This will mean all releases will be subject to a 17-month window before they can hit Max.
Prime Video France continues to bolster its local acquisitions with features from both France and abroad including Benoit Delhomme’s Mothers’ Instinct starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, Neil Burger’s The Marsh King’s Daughter and Pierre Morel’s Freelance that will all head directly to the streamer.
Amazon recently signed on as a co-producer on its first-ever French original set to head to cinemas Ken Scott’s Ma Mère, Dieu Et Sylvie Vartan, produced by Gaumont and Egerie Productions. Gaumont will release the film in theatres in France and handle international sales (outside of Canada) and it will be available exclusively on Prime Video France 17 months later.
Despite such a long wait period required for films heading from cinemas to streamers, Apple has seen its theatrical gamble pay off for recent releases Killers of the Flower Moon (1.3million tickets since its Oct 18 launch via Paramount) and Napoleon (1.6 million tickets for distributor Sony since Nov 22). Netflix has negotiated a 15-month window, but is continuing to send both its local-language originals and global imports straight to streaming with no theatrical releases in sight until the laws are amended.
A revamped media chronology agreement, signed in early 2022, expires in 2025, so talks to renegotiate the terms are expected to start in the weeks ahead.
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