Rupert Preston
In a year that tested even the most powerful film distributors, the UK’s Vertigo Releasing stood out from the pack with a surprise smash hit.
As studios virtually abandoned theatrical releases in the wake of the first lockdown and cinemas faced the prospect of re-opening with almost nothing in the way of new titles, Vertigo Releasing CEO Rupert Preston heard the call and answered it. Aware there was a desperate need for family films, as theatres prepared to reopen in July, the London-based distributor swooped on the rights to Australian animation
100% Wolf from German sales agent Studio 100.
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The Secret Garden and Noël Coward adaptation
Blithe Spirit to Sky Cinema for a UK release.
“There is definitely uncertainty,” says producer Elizabeth Karlsen of Number 9 Films, producers of
Their Finest and
Mothering Sunday. “No-one really knows exactly what the landscape is going to be like out there for theatrical distribution when we come out of it. You have the double whammy of Covid-19 with the [impact of] streamers.”
However, there is plenty of evidence the sector is well positioned to thrive in a post-pandemic, SVoD-driven market.
Altitude, Vertigo, Curzon and Modern Films have all successfully released UK films on multiple platforms and there is no sign they will be stopping now. With US studios retrenching and becoming less internationally minded and more focused on streaming services, there may be opportunities for local distributors in the theatrical marketplace.