No theatrical release for Challengers: Prime Video blames the French media timeline

His sexy trailer with Zendaya caused some noise, but Luca Guadagnino’s new film will not be released in theaters here.

This week, Amazon caused a stir by unveiling the trailer of Challengersthe next film by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) with Zendaya. The actress ofEuphoria and of Spider-Man: No Way Home stars in this tennis-themed romance alongside Josh O’Connor (young Charles de The Crown) and Mike Faist (West Side Story).

In France, we learned just before the posting of this video that Challengers would not be released in cinemas: it will be broadcast directly on Prime Video. Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, head of the studio’s French branch, justifies this choice of streaming at variety pointing to the chronology of the media that she judges “too firm” In France.

In the United States, a film can be distributed in streaming only a few days after its theatrical release, according to agreements made on a case-by-case basis between distributors and exhibitors. Whereas with us, the rule is (almost) the same for everyone: once a work has been programmed in the cinema, you have to wait 17 months for it to be offered for streaming, even if the studio that the product also has a platform. Except for Netflix, which got a slightly shorter deadline of 15 months.

Canal + and Netflix, big winners of the change in the chronology of the media

Recently, Disney had lobbied around the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverfinally offered on the big screen, and had put his animated film online Avalonia in streaming.

In the same spirit, Brigitte Ricou-Bellan took advantage of the press briefing organized this week by Prime Video in Paris to explain: “We are a strong partner of French cinema and its talents. We respect the rules of the CNC, but the streaming services are encouraged not to opt for releases of their original films in the cinema. These services, based on systems of ‘subscriptions, are placed at a great disadvantage in relation to these broadcast windows. She adds that she hopes “very active discussions” that are in the works will allow for more flexibility, so that it serves both cinema audiences and Prime subscribers.

Another American production will suffer the same fate this year: Ferrariby Michael Mann, starring Adam Driver. And the firm has also announced several original French content, to discover in streaming. Details are to be read here.

Media chronology, a fireproof cultural exception