Sony Backs Off 'Clean Version' Of Movies After Uproar

CULVER CITY, CA — Culver City-based Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has backed off releasing 'clean versions' of movies after the Directors Guild of America objected to the idea.

Sony announced last week that versions of R-rated and other risque movies that have been edited for television or for in-flight entertainment would be available as a digital download for people who bought the original version of the film.

"This is a pilot program, developed in response to specific consumer feedback, that offers viewers the option of watching an airline or TV version of certain movies when they purchase the original version,” president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Man Jit Singh told Bloomberg News.

The DGA, however, was not happy about it. The union representing directors said its members have not agreed to have versions distributed on one platform available on another.

“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,” DGA told the Hollywood Reporter.

After filmmakers expressed their displeasure, Singh issued a statement saying Sony has scrapped the idea.

"Our directors are of paramount importance to us and we want to respect those relationships to the utmost," he said in the statemetn. "We believed we had obtained approvals from the filmmakers involved for use of their previously supervised television versions as a value added extra on sales of the full version. But if any of them are unhappy or have reconsidered, we will discontinue it for their films."

Sony now said it will get explicit permission from directors before making the clean edits of their movies available for download.

Photo credit: Coolcaesar at the English language Wikipedia