The Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Film Active Producers Association have jointly announced on Saturday (August 22) that no new Tamil films would release from September 1 this year. Apart from that, they have also decided to halt the film shootings and post-production work from the mentioned date. The decision from both the bodies came after the unilateral announcement made by the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation with regard to the release of new films on OTT platforms. The issue has now been escalated to the state government, as the bodies have requested CM Vijay’s government to intervene in this matter.
Tamil Film Industry To Stop Working From September 1
For the unversed, the distributors and the theatre owners’ associations had said that they would be able to screen in theatres only those films whose producers give them an assurance about releasing their films on OTT platforms eight weeks after their theatrical release.
In the statement shared by the producers’ associations, the distributors and theatre owners’ wings didn’t consult with others and decided to permit the theatrical screenings of those films whose producers gave them assurance about their project’s OTT release. They pointed out that such things never happen in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala. They condemned their decision.
The Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Film Active Producers Association put out a joint statement, saying no new Tamil films will be released in theatres from September 1.
Tamil Film Producers Council — "The Tamil Nadu Theatre Distributors Association and Theatre… pic.twitter.com/jGAoQfQRaf
— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2026
The part of the join statement reads, “When such decisions are made, consultations should have been held with all stakeholders to ensure that no party is affected. Only then should such announcements be made. Therefore, this unilateral decision of the distributors federation and the theatre owners association is unacceptable to producers.”
Hence, they have decided to take this problem to the attention of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay and the concerned ministers to find an amicable solution to this.
What Did TN Theatre Owners Association Secretary Say?
The Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association Secretary S Sridhar told IANS, “There are a number of films slotted for release in the coming weeks from September. We will all get together, hold talks and look to find a solution to the issue.”
For the unversed, after becoming CM, Vijay announced that the theatres will conduct 5 shows for new Tamil films starting from 9 AM. His decision was lauded by the people of Tamil Nadu. Now, cine lovers are eagerly waiting to know what he has to say about this ongoing battle between the producers and theatre owners’ wings.