OZ BEAT: CABIN IN THE WOODS Is Now Getting A Limited Release In Australian Cinemas

(Updated with official responses from Roadshow Films on the upcoming limited release of The Cabin In The Woods across Australia - not exactly breaking news now but included here just so that everyone who really wanted to see this film in cinema does not miss the release date.) 

Here is my original article published on April 27:

Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods was previously given a release date of July 12 by its Australian distributor, Roadshow Films. It is currently screening in the US and UK, and fellow ScreenAnarchy writers have told me that the film is also in cinema release all around the world. Aussie fans were going to have to wait three more months to see the film, and many were complaining about the delayed release because of the fear of coming across spoilers that might reveal the amazing twist(s) and ruin their enjoyment of the film.

Today, rumors started circulating on Twitter that The Cabin in the Woods will not be getting an Australian cinema release, but instead will go direct to DVD. After much speculation, Roadshow Films has released the following official statement, which essentially confirms the rumors and speculations:

In response to the statement, angry fans started posting some strongly-worded comments on the company's Facebook and Tumblr pages. Interestingly, Roadshow decided to actually respond and apologize to every single person who was making negative comments on its Facebook page, until only a short while ago. Unfortunately, that did not seem to have helped the situation, but instead might have aggravated it further. The nasty comments just kept on coming. Looking at all those comments, one thing is clear: people want to at least know why. 

As you can see, nowhere in Roadshow's statement was a reason given for their decision. I myself am certainly perplexed by what they have chosen to do with the release of Cabin in the Woods. The film has been getting critical acclaim and positive buzz. Its writer Joss Whedon's The Avengers is currently smashing Aussie box office records, having taken over $6 million Australian dollars on its opening day, which was the second highest opening in local box office history (beaten only by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2). Cabin's star Chris Hemsworth is in The Avengers and Thor, and he is an Aussie actor. So it seems that the timing could not have been better for the release of Cabin, and that it has good potential to bring in decent box office returns. 

Some have suggested that this decision may be related to the general belief that horror is not a commercially viable genre in Australia. This is not entirely true. In 2011, Paranormal Activitiy 3 made 7.8 million Australian Dollars and Scream 4 made 4.2 millions, which were decent figures. Also, if that was the reason, it would only be logical for Roadshow to do the same for their other horror releases, which would include Daniel Radcliffe's The Woman in Black that they are currently actively promoting; it has a scheduled release date of May 17. 

According to a tweet by Roadshow Films, the release date for Cabin in the Woods DVD may be announced next week, but it seems unlikely to satisfy the many really upset fans. It is currently unknown as to whether Roadshow will explain why they have decided not to give Cabin in the Woods a well-deserved Australian cinema release.