HOLLYWOOD - Some of Britain's largest cinema chains have pulled the Ben Stiller comedy Night at the Museum from their screens in protest against Twentieth Century Fox's plan to push forward the film's DVD release.
According to Variety magazine, Fox aims to sell the DVD version of the film in British stores starting April 2, breaking the four-month gap between cinema and DVD releases that is generally accepted as a minimum in the industry.
The film was released in Britain on Dec. 26--fewer than 100 days before the DVD's proposed release date.
A spokeswoman for Odeon, Britain's largest cinema chain with more than 840 screens, says, "As of today we are no longer going to be showing the film on our screens.
Fox executive Christian Grass says, "This is a one-off decision based on seasonality. We believe in retaining healthy windows and our track record speaks for itself. Our average window from theatrical release to home video release is over five months."