Paramount will give Martin Scorsese Moonflower Killers A theatrical release in France from October 18 confirmed the deadline, in a move that would make the film subject to the country’s strict window rules.
Paramount Pictures France revealed its domestic theatrical date Tuesday in an updated slate posted to its website and Deadline confirmed that the film will receive a regular release via distributor and then go straight to Apple TV+.
Apple Original Films announced Monday that Moonflower Killers It will be released exclusively in theaters worldwide in partnership with Paramount Pictures, beginning on a limited basis starting October 6, and widely starting October 20, before airing on Apple TV+.
There have been questions about whether the film will be shown in cinemas in France, where current media chronology laws mandate a 17-month window between a film’s theatrical release and its streaming release for most global platforms, including Apple TV+.
Netflix negotiated a 15-month window by pledging additional investment in domestic feature films and signing an agreement with local film and television guilds. Other streaming companies like Apple TV+, Amazon, and Disney+ have yet to go this route.
Scorsese has a huge following in cinephile France, but he’s backed by Netflix irish It received only two preview showings in France – at the Festival Lumiere by General Actor Thierry Frémaux in Lyon and at Cinema française in Paris – before its release via streaming in November 2019.
This was in contrast to the US and UK where the film was given limited releases.
Expectations remain that high Moonflower Killersabout the serial killings of members of the oil-rich Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma, will premiere at Cannes in May.
Confirmation of the French theatrical release opens the door for Moonflower Killers To play in competition, if the film is already up for grabs at Cannes, and the festival and Scorsese want to go that route.
Under Cannes rules, which align with French window laws, only films that guarantee a theatrical release in France can compete for the festival’s coveted Palme d’Or, a stipulation that has kept Netflix and its top titles away from the Croisette in recent years.
