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Aussie cinemas fast track films to trump pirates

Australian moviegoers will no longer have to wait weeks for international films to hit the big screen thanks to a new move from film distribution company Village Roadshow.

• Why are Aussies the biggest TV pirates in the world?

Village Roadshow has announced that all its films will now be released in local cinemas before, simultaneously, or close to their US release dates.

The new approach will apply to the hotly anticipated newest instalment of The Hunger Games trilogy.

Chief executive of Village Roadshow, Graham Burke, told The Australian that he realised it was time for a change after piracy of The Lego Movie cost the company more than $3.5 million in sales.

“It was doubly painful because Lego was produced in Australia,” Mr Burke said.

“Piracy not only impacts profits, but if unchecked will ­impede new business models and growth.”

The old approach was implemented so that stars to attend staggered film premieres, international hype could build and film prints could be reused.

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