A dispute with Disney over the release window could see Alice in Wonderland barred from Odeon, Vue and Cineworld screens

This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

The UK's biggest cinema chains are set to boycott Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, due out on 5 March, because of a dispute with Disney over the release window.

Disney wants to cut the gap between the theatrical opening and the DVD release to just 12 weeks, down from the standard 17 weeks. The big exhibitors refuse to book any film that doesn't have a guaranteed four-month theatrical run.

If neither side climbs down, the 3D film will not play at any Odeon, Vue or Cineworld site across the country, representing 95% of the UK's 3D screens.

That means Disney would forfeit a substantial amount of the film's projected £40m UK box-office gross. It will be tricky for the studio to explain that to Burton, who lives in London and shot Alice In Wonderland largely in Devon and Cornwall.

The film stars Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska and a largely British supporting cast, including Helena Bonham Carter, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Christopher Lee and Barbara Windsor.

However, Disney said the royal charity premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square will go ahead regardless, because that isn't a commercial booking.

The studio previously attempted to shorten the theatrical run of Up in order to release the DVD before Christmas, but changed its mind after the exhibitors threatened to pull A Christmas Carol from their screens in retaliation.

This time, however, Disney has given the exhibitors advance warning of its intentions. A studio source described the 12-week deal as a "take it or leave it" proposition that is not up for negotiation.

Disney's distribution chiefs, Bob Chapek and Chuck Viane, have flown in from Hollywood to talk to British exhibitors over the next couple of days.

"We feel that it's important for us to maintain a healthy business on the exhibition side and a healthy business on the home video side... We remain committed to theatrical windows, with the need for exceptions to accommodate a shortened timeframe on a case-by-case basis, such as with Disney's Alice in Wonderland," said Chapek.

But sources say the studio is not offering more favourable revenue-sharing terms to tempt them to accept the shorter window. Odeon and Vue have already pulled all trailers and promotional materials for Alice in Wonderland from their cinemas, and have stopped selling advance tickets. Cineworld, as a public company, is taking a more cautious line and is still promoting Alice in Wonderland on its website, but is understood to be equally robust in its rejection of the shorter window.

Disney is also cutting the theatrical run for Alice in Wonderland in the US and Italy, where most exhibitors look likely to accept the studio's terms.

This is part of a global strategy by Disney CEO Bob Iger to shorten some of its theatrical releases, in a bid to maximise its home entertainment revenues, combat piracy and minimise its marketing costs.

The studio says that films take 97% of their box office in the first eight weeks of release, after which they largely disappear from cinemas. It argues that making consumers wait another two months before they can buy the DVD legitimately just presents the pirates with an "exclusive window."

Exhibitors counter that bringing forward the DVD release will reduce the audience appetite to see films on the big screen, which could lead to cinema closures, particularly in smaller towns.

Disney is using this summer's football World Cup as its pretext for cutting short Alice's theatrical run. It argues that audiences won't go to the cinema during the World Cup in their usual numbers, so it makes sense to pull Alice in Wonderland early.

But UK exhibitors argue that a family film such as Alice in Wonderland is less threatened by the World Cup than other titles