Bond to Infiltrate India Before US

James Bond, getting ready to rock India.  

Can’t wait to see Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond movie? Well, now you have two places to check it out before it hits US theaters on November 14th–according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will first open in London on October 31st, and then in India on November 7th. This will be the first time a major Hollywood release will hit Indian theaters before US locations.

Kercy Daruwalla, managing director of Sony Pictures Releasing India, explained:

“James Bond has a huge equity in this country, and Bond films have always been a hit here.”

Seven hundred prints of the Bond film will be going to India, with dubbed versions available in Hindi, Tamil, and Tegelu.

India’s affection for Bond films aside, I wonder if this is really an attempt to beat the piracy business. It drives Hollywood nuts that DVDs of big releases often hit the streets all over the world almost on the day they premiere in the US or London. If some Sony exec would like to send me on a trip to India to investigate this phenomena, I’d be glad to go.