By the summer of 2006, British production companies Celador Films and Film4 Productions invited director Danny Boyle to read the script of Slumdog Millionaire. Boyle hesitated, since he was not interested in making a film about Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which was produced by Celador.Then Boyle learned that the screenwriter was Beaufoy, who had written The Full Monty (1997), one of the director's favourite British films, and decided to revisit the script. Two years after being given rights make this movie , Slumdog Millionaire was born.
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Marketing
In August 2007, Warner Independent Pictures acquired the North American rights and Pathé the international rights to distribute Slumdog Millionaire theatrically.However, in May 2008, Warner Independent Pictures was shut down, with all of its projects being transferred to Warner Bros., its parent studio. Warner Bros. doubted the commercial prospects of Slumdog Millionaire and suggested that it would go straight to DVD without a U.S. theatrical release. In August 2008, the studio began searching for buyers for various productions, to relieve its overload of end-of-the-year films.Halfway through the month, Warner Bros. entered into a pact with Fox Searchlight Pictures to share distribution of the film, with Fox Searchlight buying 50% of Warner Bros.'s interest in the movie and handling U.S. distribution.
Following the film's success at the 81st Academy Awards, the film topped the worldwide box office (barring North America), grossing $16 million from 34 markets in the week following the Academy Awards.Worldwide, the film has currently grossed over $377 million.
Distribution
Six months ago, the director was suddenly informed that Warner Independent was being closed down and that Slumdog, to which he’d devoted a year of his life, would be condemned to the obscurity of a straight-to-DVD release.
That was before Fox Spotlight heard of Boyle's feel-good fable about contemporary Mumbai. They bought rights to the film for a song, and quietly went about turning it into a word of mouth smash hit.
Exhibition
Slumdog millionaire was released on 9th January 2009 as an art-house film, but short after being released it crossed over and became and main stream film. This was due to that amount of viewers wanted to see the film. In the opening weekend Slumdog made £2 million in the UK by 11th January 2009 and also was shown in 324 screens over the UK.
Slumdog millionaire was launched as a new independent movie in the UK. PATHE wanted to use online marketing to build awareness to the public about the film. Also targeting it at niche audiences such as Indian movie lovers and enthusiasts and followers of Danny Boyle.
Slumdog millionaire was re- released due to it smashing the box office records by winning 7 Bafta awards and 8 oscars. This made the public think about how good the film must be and made more and more people go and see the film which bought up the film viewing rates again.
