To The Walt Disney Company and Buena Vista International,
I would firstly like to congratulate you on a fantastic trailer for Ratatouille. I enjoyed it very much and was glad to finally watch it after hearing reports of it from ShoWest.
But now onto more serious matters. Until approximately 20 minute ago, I was under the belief that Ratatouille would be released June 28 in Australia (that is where I live). I have marked this date in my diary and calenders anticipating its release, due to myself being a fan of Pixar Animation Studios and their work. I am a proud shareholder of The Walt Disney Company and it was satisfying to know that the company had almost closed the gap on release dates of films between Australia and the United States. With Meet The Robinson’s due for release later this week, I took this as further evidence that the gap was being closed. It was much to my disappointment when an anonymous comment on my blog about half-an-hour ago alerted me to the fact that Ratatouille is no longer being released on June 28 of this year in Australia, but more than 2 months later on August 30. I couldn’t believe what I was reading, so I quickly checked a major Australian cinema chain’s website, and sure enough, there was the date.
I proceeded to look at the Ratatouille page on Wikipedia, and I was surprised to see that the United Kingdom doesn’t get a release till October 05. A whole month later! I took last years later release date for Cars in the UK due to other voices being recorded for certain roles, and also for it to coincide with the European motor-racing season. I really do not think it is acceptable at all to see a film, which is from an English speaking country, to be released in two other prominent English speaking countries, that much later. To me, it screams that it wants to be pirated.
In a recent article, says that a survey conducted by University of Sydney honours student Adam Zuchetti shows that 53% of all Australians that were interviewed download TV shows over BitTorrent on a regular basis. The study also found that one in four people download TV shows at least twice a week. The fact is, people are sick of waiting months and months to watch something on TV, when it already airs in the US months earlier, and these people can just download it with a couple clicks of a mouse. The same goes for movies. Why do some people download movies? Because they are that eager to see the film, they can’t wait for it to open in 2 months time in cinema, when it is on the Internet with a matter of days or even hours. 53% of the people surveyed, said they were willing to pay for the content they download. Then I don’t see why if the movie is open in that persons local cinema the same time it is open in the US, why they wouldn’t pay to go the movies and see it on a big screen in comfort, rather than watch a copy off the Internet with people walking through the picture.
I do understand that there are other factors involved, such as I have recently heard that you have had a hard time deciding on how to market Ratatouille, due to the not-so-spectacular success of Cars. I also understand that Ratatouille would be opening three weeks after Shrek the Third. I hope you do understand where I am coming from, as I have waited a couple of years for this film, and now I won’t be able to review the film, or comment on the film and how great it is on my blog, until 2 months after its US release. I refuse to download a film that I want to see desperately, however do you see how tempting this might be to others who want to see how great Ratatouille will be? On behalf of all the countries that have to wait months to see a movie after its release in it’s home country, I would love for The Walt Disney Company to be the first to put their foot down, and take action on the issues of gaps between release dates of films around the world.
Kind regards,
Thomas Huxley
UpcomingPixar.com
Hi Thomas,
I’m Rachel. I left the anonymous comment today concerning Ratatouille’s Australian release date being changed from 28th June (a whole day before the American release) to 30th August (over 2 months later).
In fact, Ratatouille’s June 28th release date would have coincided almost perfectly with the school holidays in N.S.W., and only being a week or so out of the beginning of the rest of the states’ school holiday period (excluding Tasmania).
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I agree with your letter wholeheartedly.
When I first found out about the changed release date, I was very disappointed and expressed similar points as yours on other message boards. I will consider writing a letter to Disney expressing my annoyance at their decision.
My first thought that came to mind was, was “What’s the point of waiting 2 months when I can just download it for free?”
But I wouldn’t do that of course, because I love Pixar.
And it is very frustrating because the only way I, personally, want to watch a Pixar film is on the big screen because I get to:
A) See the fine detail that Pixar puts into their work
B) The trailers for their upcoming film
C) Watch the short film attached to the beggining
D) As well as the whole cinema experience.
So, Australian Pixar fans have to make the decision whether or not to download/steal from Pixar (which would pain me to do) and watch their masterpieces of film in a sub-par setting such as on my 20 inch TV, or wait a whole 2 months just to see it.
In my opinion Disney are just shooting themselves in the foot by delaying films by more than a few weeks because people, (such as myself who never go to movies UNLESS it is a Pixar film) and was actually willing to pay once a year to go to movies, feel like in order to make a statement at Disney and Pixar, they have to download the movie.
I am just as annoyed as you are at this turn-around, and I’m sorry if I have gone off on a tangent here.
Hopefully someone from Disney (preferably Pixar) will contact you and we can see if Australia (and other countries) will see more fair Pixar release dates for Ratatouille, or failing that, Wall-E and other Pixar releases into the future.
Thanks.
– Rachel.
I too was outraged when I heard when Ratatouille will be released in the UK. I scanned the Internet for the hope of a misprint but it was true. Now I have to wait over 2 months as reports from around the world about how funny Ratatouille is. Then next year I’ll have to wait for the DVD release, that is if we get a proper 2-Disc DVD
Thanks for the comment Rachel. 2 Australian Pixar fans. I really think its because of the competition it faces that month and the month after they are delaying it. Here is the competition they would be facing.
June 2007
* 7th – Amazing Grace Rating TBC
* 7th – The Banquet MA15+
* 7th – Bridge To Terabithia Rating TBC
* 7th – Shrek The Third Rating TBC
* 14th – Hostel 2 Rating TBC
* 14th – Ocean’s Thirteen Rating TBC
* 19th – Premonition M
* 21st – Nancy Drew Rating TBC
* 21st – Fantastic Four: The Rise Of The Silver Surfer Rating TBC
* 21st – Blades Of Glory Rating TBC
* 28th – Evan Almighty Rating TBC
* 29th – Transformers Rating TBC
July 2007
* 5th – Firehouse Dog PG
* 5th – License To Wed Rating TBC
* 5th – Black Book Rating TBC
* 12th – Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix Rating TBC
* 19th – Live Free Or Die Hard Rating TBC
* 26th – I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry Rating TBC
* 26th – The Simpsons Movie Rating TBC
Here here! I was really annoyed when I discovered I’d have to wait another two months on top of the month I though I had to wait before Ratatouille came out, and yet countries like Spain and Germany get it in late July/August. Where’s the logic in that? I sent an E-mail to the Film Factory (Buena Vista’s UK brance), but to no avail.
What’s up with that? Why do some Pixar films (The Incedibles and Cars) come out relatively quickly, while others (Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc and even Toy Story) take 4-5 months? Keep it consistant, please!
But it’s because THOSE aforementioned movies are released later, that Disney wants to release Ratatouille later. 🙁
* Oh, and I also want to say that the June 28 release would have coincided nicely with the opening of the Pixar ACMI exhibition on the same day. Which boggles the mind even further why they would have changed the date.
Imagine how many children (and big kids alike, such as me) would have attended the ACMI Pixar exhibition, and then gone to see the new Pixar movie Ratatouille? Because the ACMI has a cinema complex as well I am told.
** Also, if any Pixar animators are reading this, please point John Lasseter or Brad Bird or anyone who has the power to control something in the general direction of the open letter and comments. It’s not to late to change the date.
Thankyou.
* That was me. ^
– Rachel.
Hey guys, you might be able to help the cause get known by digging it too…
Digg it
Wow , that’s really dumb , making such a gap between the release dates .
When does the Ratatouille HD trailer come out? and where can I find the HD trailer.
Dear Thomas,
Although I am not a citizen of Europe or of Australia, I do sypathize with your plead concerning the matter which involves Ratatouille‘s release in the said countries/continents.
I have no solid idea of why the Disney company would hold back the film from other theaters/cinemas around the world; there is no legitimate reason I could think of for why they are doing this. Money is the only factor I can see, but there is really no difference in how much income the business will receive whether they release the film sooner or later in other countries/continents.
I agree with you here: sense is something it does not make. I sincerely hope that the company will consider your article/plead and rethink their decision. However, it is an extremely large and powerful enterprise — the decisions that are made concerning Pixar films are almost entirely up to them. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the coming months, though….
Sincerely,
Mitch
P.S. I will proceed to “digg” this article as well. I hope it will help to assist your cause for “justice”. Heh.
I agree with most statements from that letter and I wholeheartedly support your point – I live in Poland and have to wait till september 28th, but I understand some reasons behind that decision – summer in my country is really bad period for movies to be released – Poles rarely go to cinemas during holidays – there are many much more popular activities in the summer here. Polish summer Cars premiere was a really big disaster so I think that people at Disney had learnt their lesson and they know what they do pushing release date for Ratatouille further into school season.
I agree that these gaps in release dates are annoying and disapointing, but, Disney is a company who’s main priority is to make a profit. Their goal it seems is to release on a date where they can break box-office records and take maximum takings. And this unfortunately comes down to what is being released in conjunction with Ratatouille in that region. I hate to say it..but i don’t see it changing. Sorry to be the devils advocate.
I am SO excited about going to Melbourne to see the Pixar exhibition at the ACMI (saw a show about a year ago they did on Sonic the Hedgehog that was excellent). Hopefully they’ll have stuff from the newer films – I saw the original show in NYC… but that was before Cars and Ratatouille – fingers crossed Pixar manages to include this material even if there release date is so late. The website (http://www.acmi.net.au/pixar.jsp) mentions Cars being in the show, so we might get lucky…
I realise this is an old article but I felt the need to add my name to the list. For over a year I’ve been promising the kids (and myself) that we’d be going to Ratatouille shortly after my son’s June birthday.
The 9 minute trailer made it clear that June 29 was THE release date – nothing about it being a limited release date.
It was only the lack of posters and the cinema and lack of any advertising that got me wondering what was going on. I was devastated when I found we were going to be made to wait.
“Orf with their heads!” 😉
Great blog by the way. One of the best for sure.
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