Since its adoption by the European Union in 1989, the chronology of the media has not ceased to be the subject of tensions between the National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC) and certain American film studios — Hollywood having no similar rule. As a reminder, this tacit rule defines the order and the time limit for the exploitation of films after their theatrical release in France, to favor certain cinema actors and protect creation. streaming. While some have been “favoured”, such as Canal+ and OCS (only six months between the theatrical release and the streaming release), for their more substantial investments in French film production, others and in particular Disney (17 months of delay between the theatrical release and streaming) come at the end of the line as a sanction for their lack of commitment to French creation – it was around 32 months before this reform. enough for the American behemoth, which continues its negotiations. But, for the first time, this showdown between the CNC and Disney could perhaps have a concrete impact. The company is considering preventing Marvel fans from discovering the new blockbuster from the studios in dark rooms. Thus, the theatrical release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, originally set for November 9, is now uncertain in the cinema. ‘Hexagone as told by Le Film Français, which explains that the cancellation of this release was discussed at the general meeting of the French Syndicate of Cinematographic Theaters (SFTC). This decision, not yet made by Disney, is clearly a push against the CNC’s rule, which the studio has always strongly opposed, as one of the representatives explained: “As we have already indicated, the media chronology forces us to evaluate our theatrical release film by film. We have not yet made a decision on the theatrical release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in France, nor yet decided on the release of the other upcoming films. Indeed, we look forward to the necessary reopening of negotiations to help establish a readable roadmap, in order to evolve the media chronology towards an approach more in line with consumer expectations and practices.” For information, when a studio like Disney refuses to release a film in theatres, it is the funds of exhibitors and the CNC that take a hit since part of the price of the entry ticket enables them to finance themselves, and therefore to finance French productions assisted by the said CNC, whose assistance is essential. The American firm had already made the move earlier in the year with the animated film Avalonia, the strange journey, the release of which has been purely canceled in theaters and which will arrive directly on the Disney + platform at home – from the same way than Mulan, which had no theatrical release. If the American giant starts banging its fists on the table for each big release, with huge productions like Avatar 2 – which has the potential to be a hit in theaters obscure -, in the line of sight, it could well end up cracking the French institution and undermining the chronology of the media, even the other platforms which lend themselves to the game.
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