Oslo won't play 'Game'
Municipal Cinemas refused to sign agreement for Scott thriller
Last week the distributors negotiated a deal with Film and Kino -- the organization of publicly owned theaters -- covering the rest of the country. But according to Film and Kino managing director Lene Lψken, Oslo was unwilling to accept an increase in distributors' fees.
"Large and mid-sized theaters will have to pay slightly more, while small theaters stick to the present rates. We are satisfied with the result, which secures our supply of films," explained Lψken.
"Oslo accounts for 25%-28% of the market," according to chairman of the distributors, and managing director of Oslo's Egmont Columbia TriStar distribbery, Bjψrn Hoenvoll. "It is not so clever to exclude the capital from our releases. On the other hand, it is not good business for them, either. And now they have to negotiate each film separately."
Originally scheduled for Oslo last weekend, "Spy Game" will unspool in all suburban theaters, including the privately-owned multiplex in Sandvika and Nordisk Film's recently-opened cinema in Drammen, both just outside city limits.
