Akshay Kumar’s BellBottom Team Eyeing For Rs 150 Crore Deal For OTT Premiere?(Photo Credit – Facebook)
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The makers of Salman Khan starrer Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai took the route to release simultaneously in theatres and digital platform on a pay per view model. Now it seems the makers of Akshay Kumar starrer BellBottom are in talks for an exclusive deal for OTT release.
The hybrid release is nothing new in the entertainment industry now. Hollywood films like Wonder Woman 1984 and Godzilla vs Kong were released in theatres and OTT platform simultaneously. But the BellBottom team is only now eying for OTT release instead of hybrid release.
According to Pinkvilla, Akshay Kumar starrer BellBottom is now moving towards hybrid release due to coronavirus pandemic. A source close to the development revealed, “The makers were all set for a theatrical release on May 28, but in current times, it’s unlikely for any film to arrive in the cinema halls at least till the month of July. The cases are on the rise every day and are showing no signs of slowing down. After multiple rounds of internal discussions, the BellBottom team has initiated a conversation with the digital giant, Disney+ Hotstar for a digital premiere.”
Previously, reports stated that the makers of BellBottom were in talks with Amazon Prime for the release of the film. But later reports said that producers, Jackky and Vashu Bhagnani, and Nikkhil Advani, were just to explore the market value of the film.
Now the latest report from the publication claim that the makers of the Akshay Kumar starrer are in a toss between Prime and Hotstar for an exclusive digital premiere. The source said, “While Amazon has made an offer of around Rs 125 crore plus to the film, the makers are expecting something in the vicinity of Rs 150 crore. They have now gone to Disney+ Hotstar and the final rounds discussions are going on at the moment. A call on the medium as also the mode of release will be taken in a fortnight.”
“The film will premiere on OTT if and when the makers get the money that they have demanded and the inside buzz is, Hotstar is quite impressed with the rushes of the film that they watched. It wouldn’t be an issue for them to give the Bell Bottom makers the money they have demanded,” the source added.
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film Toofaan starring Farhan Akhtar, Mrunal Thakur and Paresh Rawal has also opted for a direct to digital premiere on Amazon Prime.
