Canadian cinemas say they are losing the rights to screen fan favourites like “Die Hard” and “Home Alone” after the 20th Century Fox back-catalogue was swallowed up by The Walt Disney Co.
“There’s only so much in back-catalogue stuff that has the legs that enough people are going to come out to make it worth it. And to not have access to the Fox catalogue is limiting. So goodbye ‘Die Hard,’ nice knowing you, happy Christmas.”Independent filmhouses have been worried about losing access to the archives ever since Disney took over Fox’s entertainment assets earlier this year, said Eric Veillette, programming director at Toronto’s Revue Cinema.
That’s not the message Rachel Fox says she has received at the Rio. She said she was given no notice about a change, nor notice that her usual two contacts at 20th Century Fox had left the company. When the Rio’s Fox got through to her new contact at Disney this week she said she was told there was only one 20th Century Fox film available for booking.