‘Avatar’ fans in India’s southernmost state, Kerala, will have to wait a little longer to watch the upcoming sequel to James Cameron’s film. Film Exhibitors United Organization of Kerala (FEUOK) has announced its decision not to release the much awaited film.
The decision comes as a result of a disagreement between FEUOK and the creators of “Avatar: The Way of the Water” over the terms of profit sharing. A group of Malayalam cinema termed the new conditions of the makers of the Hollywood blockbuster as “unusual”.
In a statement, K Vijayakumar, president of FEUOK, said, “It is not banned here. We cannot accept their terms. They demand unusual salary from single screen theaters in Kerala. Which we cannot accept. We will not ban any movies. But we are not going to release Avatar 2 in Kerala. We expect action from their side,”
Allegedly, the bone of contention between them is the 60% share of sales they are asking for. Theater owners in Kerala are not ready to go beyond the normal 55% revenue share.
The decision will affect the release of ‘Avatar: The Way of the Water’ in about 400 screens across Kerala.
The premiere of the film is scheduled for December 16 this year.
