Kerala Theater Owners Call For A Strike Against Early OTT Releases

Kochi, June 6 - The theater owners in Kerala have decided to take a strong stand against the Mollywood filmmaker for opting for early OTT release of their movies. It has been seen with most of the Malayalam movies that despite the very good run in theaters, producers have opted for early release on digital platforms.

The latest in the list is the all-time blockbuster "2018" which was released in theaters on May 5 and will be streaming SonyLiv from June 7, less than five weeks after the theatrical release. This has left the theater owners disappointed as this film has been running with packed houses across Kerala state.

Now, according to the latest development, the theater owners have called for a strike on June 7 and 8 as a protest against early digital releases. This means theaters won't be functioning across the state for the next 2 days. It is said that the Kerala theaters will demand an increase in the OTT window period from 42 days to 90 days.

Meanwhile, theaters that come under FEUOK (Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala) are already reportedly considering not continuing "2018" after its OTT release. It is also revealed that Kerala theatres have started to refund the ticket amounts to those who pre-booked tickets for June 7 and 8.

It is to be noted that Kerala theater owners have been demanding a suitable OTT release window for the movies for a long time. Barring a few big hits, the Malayalam industry has been struggling to attract footfalls in cinemas due to direct OTT and short window releases.

Stay tuned...