There is tension brewing between single-screen cinemas and non-national multiplex chains as also stand-alone multiplexes on the one hand and Twentieth Century, the distributors of Avatar: The Way Of Water, on the other. The film is slated for release on 16th December in India. The distributors are demanding that the single-screen cinemas book the film for at least two weeks in all the shows. The distributors have made it clear that they will not allow sharing of shows in the second week. They have also demanded a revenue share of 60% in the first week. Exhibitors, on the other hand, don’t want to commit two weeks as Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus is due for release the following week (on 23rd December). They are also not in a mood to give away 60% of the nett collections in the first week to the distributors. Single-screen cinemas and non-national multiplexes are insisting on giving 55% of the nett collections to the distributors. It is pertinent to note that the revenue-sharing ratio between national multiplex chains and the distributors will remain the same.
In fact, the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK) announced on 29th November that cinemas owing allegiance to it will not screen the Avatar sequel in Kerala state.