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SHOCKING: Sinners Removed from Eros, Priya & Paras IMAX; Replaced by Non-IMAX Films Kesari Chapter 2 and Jaat
The Hollywood supernatural film Sinners was released in India and worldwide on April 18, garnering significant attention from the elite Hollywood crowd. There has been a strong demand for IMAX screenings, as a substantial portion of the film was shot with the IMAX 65mm camera. However, moviegoers were taken aback when Sinners was pulled from Eros IMAX Cinema in Mumbai, as well as Priya IMAX and Paras IMAX in Delhi. Notably, all three venues are standalone IMAX properties owned by PVR Inox.
A source explained the situation, stating, “No showings of Sinners were held here because the theatres replaced it with the new Hindi film Kesari Chapter 2 and the ongoing Bollywood release Jaat, both of which were not shot in IMAX. Warner Bros requested a proper showcasing of Sinners in these three cinemas, but since it isn’t a front-loaded superhero film, the cinemas had reservations about playing it in all showtimes. Warner understood the situation and did not insist on all shows for Sinners.
They even offered to screen A Minecraft Movie and Interstellar. The other 28 IMAX screens in the country are still playing Sinners and Minecraft, but these three cinemas insisted on showing non-IMAX films, even though those movies had ample screenings elsewhere. This was unacceptable to Warner, leading to the decision to not release Sinners at Eros, Priya, and Paras.”The source continued, “These theatres argued that they are single-screen IMAX cinemas, meaning they lack other screens. Other multiplexes can afford to show Sinners even with lower occupancy in IMAX, as they profit from higher turnout for other films on regular screens.
However, if they focus solely on Sinners or allocate most shows to it, it wouldn’t justify their costs since the film targets a niche audience in India. The Warner team contended that an exception should have been made for Sinners, as it is designed for IMAX screens and has received incredible word-of-mouth, indicating potential for growth. More than 30% of the film’s business on its first day also came from IMAX screenings.”An industry insider commented on the issue, saying, “These cinemas should have at least given Sinners a chance for the weekend.
They could have negotiated with the studio during the weekdays to adjust certain shows for profitability. Not allowing an IMAX film in an IMAX theatre from day one was unfair.”Currently, Eros Cinema is showing 5 screenings of Kesari Chapter 2, while Priya and Paras have allocated the morning slot to Jaat, with the remaining shows going to the Akshay Kumar-starrer. This strategy, however, has not proven beneficial for the theatres. The Saturday night showing of Kesari Chapter 2 at Eros was nearly empty, even though it was performing well in other cinemas across the city.The source elaborated, “At Eros, Priya, and Paras, the audience perception is that they should go there for IMAX-worthy films. Consequently, for non-IMAX movies, audiences prefer other cinemas nearby. It’s a catch-22 situation for standalone IMAX theatres; they can’t rely solely on niche IMAX films like Sinners, yet there’s no guarantee of footfalls for regular films.”
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