In a very bizarre move, Paramount Pictures has decided to drop Annihilation’s UK cinematic release and put it on Netflix instead.
I’m not quite sure how to take this bit of news. Annihilation was (and still is) one of my most anticipated movies of 2018. Alex Garland proved with Ex Machina that he knows how to direct innovative, stylish and thought-provoking movies. He’s been in the industry for a while now, having had a hand in such movies as The Beach, Sunshine, 28 Days Later and Dredd. However, Ex Machina was his first official directorial debut. I say official because there have been reports suggesting that he directed a lot of Dredd, which is a severely underrated movie. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I have much respect and admiration for Garland and getting to watch his take on Jeff VanderMeer’s novel in the cinema was promising to be one of my cinematic highlights of 2018.
Yet, Paramount Pictures has made damn sure that that won’t happen for we who live in the land of Brexit. According to Deadline, the movie studio has dropped Annihilation’s UK cinematic release and has opted to strike a deal with streaming giants Netflix which will see the movie drop on their platform instead. We’re still going to get to see the movie and it may result in it being seen by a wider audience, but I can’t quite understand why the UK market was the only one chosen. Annihilation is still getting a cinematic release in the US, Canada and China.
The film’s US cinema premiere will take place on February 23rd and is set to hit Netflix 17 days later internationally. It’s an interesting choice and one which will puzzle a lot of people, myself included, because there did seem a be a lot of buzz surrounding the film. That said, it may still get a limited release in selected cinemas across the country, you’ll just have to look very hard to find one that’s screening it.
What are your thoughts on this? We you, like me, looking forward to watching Annihilation in the cinema? Let us know in the comments below.
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I was looking forward to seeing this on the ‘big screen’ rather than my biggish one at home. Where can we complain and be heard?
My friends and I were so looking forward to seeing this on the big screen since seeing the trailer. It’s bizzare they chose not to show it in UK especially since indie films have been doing so well in UK cinemas off late.
Likewise, really pissed off with the studio for their decision to drop the UK theatrical release as very excited to see this after the book, trailers & being a fan of his previous work.
Not happy >:o/