Sony Pictures wants to provide “clean versions” of their movies and Seth Rogen isn’t having it.
Sony Pictures, intent on reaching a bigger audience with its film catalogue, has started the “Clean Version” project. This initiative will provide the airline or broadcast TV version of a film when a person buys it on iTunes or other streaming sites.
RELATED: Seth Rogen Shares Vancouver Food Tips With Chrissy Teigen
“The Clean Version allows viewing for a wider audience, giving people the chance to watch their favorite films together. Films of all ratings can be adapted as Clean Versions; however, the extent of such adaptation can vary,” Sony said about the program.
The Sony Pictures project will start with 24 of their movies, which include “Big Daddy”, “50 First Dates”, “Step Brothers”, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, “Captain Phillips”, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, and the “Spider-Man” movies.
On Tuesday, Rogen tweeted his reaction to the news:
None of Rogen’s films are part of the first wave of clean-version releases. He’s made several films with the studio, including “The Interview” and, more recently, “Sausage Party”.We can only imagine what a clean version of a Seth Rogen movie would look like.
Rogen’s “Knocked Up” director, Judd Apatow, has chimed in on Sony’s plan for “clean movies” and his feelings are very clear. On Tuesday, Apatow tweeted directly at Sony and called the program “absolutely bulls**t.”
Apatow’s tweet came after the Directors Guild of America released a statement denouncing Sony’s movement. In the statement, the DGA said that directors have the right to edit their films for every version released.
“Taking a director’s edit for one platform, and then releasing it on another, without giving the director the opportunity to edit, violates our agreement,” the statement reads. “Throughout the years, the DGA has achieved hard-fought creative rights gains protecting our members from such practices. As creators of their films, directors often dedicate years of hard work to realize their full vision, and they rightfully have a vested interest in protecting that work. We are committed to vigorously defending against the unauthorized alteration of films.”
Adam McKay, director of movies like “Anchorman” and “The Big Short”, was reached for a comment by The Hollywood Reporter and his rep said the director does not approve of this either. “The Clean Version initiative is news to Adam McKay. He would not have agreed to this,” McKay’s rep said.
