14 DAY TRIAL // There aren’t many things that Ashton Kutcher can do to upset a lot of people but, somehow, he seems to have found just the one: a few days back, he announced he’d stream the first 13 minutes of his latest film “Killers” for all fans to see. Apparently, he didn’t ask for any kind of permission before doing so, which explains it why he’s now in troubled waters, as AceShowbiz can confirm.
Industry insiders and film experts are lashing out against Kutcher for deciding to take the first 13 minutes of his new film and post it online because, they say, he’s encouraging piracy with this gesture. Moreover, some of them are even asking for him to be reprimanded and made an example of, to discourage others who may think the practice a fun one. Ashton, on his part, believes he did nothing wrong: he only promoted his film and that’s that.
“Ashton Kutcher has defended his decision to ‘pirate’ the first 13 minutes of his new film ‘Killers’ online, insisting internet piracy will soon be a thing of the past when movie executives figure out a way of cashing in on the idea. The tech-savvy star broadcast the opening of the comedy direct to select fan sites from the premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, June 1, prompting criticism from film experts and critics alike, who accused him of making light of a serious industry issue. Some critics have even called on officials at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to reprimand Kutcher,” AceShowbiz writes.
“The film’s good enough to sell itself. I just wanted to show people that... I think if we show the first 13 minutes of the movie and if people like it they’ll go see it,” Ashton says in his own defense. “Everybody calls people airing stuff on the web piracy just because they’re not making money off of it yet. If they [executives] can figure out how to make money off of it, they won’t call it piracy anymore,” the actor explains in a separate interview, as per the same source.
“Killers,” also starring Katherine Heigl, focuses on the story of a couple married in a rush, who discover things are not what they thought of it when they first met. It premiered in the US on June 1 and opens nationwide today, Friday, June 4.