Universal Scraps Plan To Make Murphy Movie Available In Homes

Universal Pictures' movie executives have abandoned plans to release Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller's new film Tower Heist as a pay-per-view video-on-demand movie on TV three weeks after its theatrical release following an outcry from cinema chiefs.
   
The bosses of a handful of leading U.S. cinema chains vowed not to play the comedy at all if Universal bigwigs went ahead with the idea to make the movie available at home in select markets before the end of November (11). It opens in the U.S. on 4 November (11).
   
Executives of one big player, National Amusements Inc., insisted the film would not show at any of their 950 theatres in America, Britain and Latin America unless Universal chiefs reconsidered.
   
The theatre bosses feared that film fans would stay away from the movie in cinemas if they knew they'd be able to see it at home within a month.