The planned Indian release of the new Woody Allen film Blue Jasmine has been cancelled. Due to open this weekend, the release was cancelled due the need to supply anti tobacco warnings on the film.
In India, scenes of smoking that feature in films and TV need to tagged with an onscreen health warning. Anti-tobacco advertising is also shown before the film. Allen, who is notoriously unwilling to stray from his creative vision, has refused to allow the messages to be played over ‘Blue Jasmine‘, and as a result the film will not be released in India.
Allen is not the first filmmaker to do decide to not release their film in India over such rules (David Fincher and others has done so in the past).
A publicist for Allen made the following comment.
Due to content in the film, it cannot be shown in India in its intended manner. Therefore, the film is not scheduled to play there.
India has never traditionally been a big market for Allen, and is unlikely to really affect the international box office for the film.
1 Comment
Does anyone know if there will be new additions to the Woody Allen bluray collection in 2014? Shortly after it’s theatrical run we should get Blue Jasmine. But for the last two January’s in the middle of the month two of Woody’s movies have been released. Any word on what we should expect this coming January. I’m hoping for Stardust Memories and Broadway Danny Rose…and Interiors would be nice.