“I Had to Beg Them”: How Warner Bros. Nearly Destroyed a Best Picture Winner of the 2000s

The film Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, emerged as an unexpected success story in the late 2000s. Initially, Warner Independent Pictures acquired the film in 2007, but after the company was dissolved in 2008, its projects, including this film, were handed over to Warner Bros. The main company, however, was not as enthusiastic about the film’s prospects and decided to sell half of its distribution rights to Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Following this transition, Slumdog Millionaire premiered at the Telluride Film Festival at the end of August 2008. It continued to garner acclaim at other major festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival. The film swept through the awards season, eventually securing 10 Oscar nominations and winning eight, including the prestigious Best Picture award.

How Warner Bros. Might Have Spoiled the Film

Lack of Confidence from the Distributor

Warner Bros. eventually missed out on what became a Best Picture winner, Slumdog Millionaire. The film narrates the life of a Mumbai teenager, portrayed by Dev Patel, who participates in the Indian version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Its unique narrative and distribution journey set it apart from typical American-centric Oscar winners of the time such as Crash, The Departed, and No Country for Old Men.

In a discussion on The Town with Matthew Belloni, Boyle’s agent Robert Newman explained how Warner Bros. almost derailed the film. Belloni noted the surprise when Warner Bros. decided to relinquish the film, despite its warm reception at festivals. Newman revealed that Warner Bros. intended to release it directly to the Indian home video market, a plan he strongly opposed, believing in the film’s broader appeal.

Belloni: It’s one of the most remarkable Oscar stories. Nobody wanted it, Warner Bros. just handed it off to Fox Searchlight, and at the Toronto Film Festival, everyone was shocked because everybody loved it. It wasn’t even a contest at the Oscars; it won everything. Why would WB give up this movie?

Newman: They saw the film, didn’t like it, and wanted to dump it straight to the Indian home video market.

Belloni: No way!

Newman: I had to convince them. I told them, ‘Let it show at the Toronto and Telluride Film Festivals. If it fails, so be it. But I believe it will connect with audiences.’ They were worried about the cost. Eventually, I got Telluride and Toronto to call them, and I pushed for it to go to Searchlight. They were fixated on releasing it in the Indian video market by the fourth quarter.

Belloni: Did they ever admit they were wrong, maybe at the Governor’s Ball?

Newman: They shared the marketing costs with Searchlight, so they benefited financially. Whether they regretted not being the main distributor at the awards, I’ll leave that to them.

Reflecting on Slumdog Millionaire’s Distribution Saga

Overall, a Resounding Success for Slumdog Millionaire

With hindsight, it’s clear that pushing Slumdog Millionaire into the Hindi home video market would have severely limited its success. The film not only triumphed critically but was also a blockbuster hit, grossing over $378 million worldwide against a modest $15 million budget. Its universal appeal confirmed Newman’s belief that the film would resonate with audiences globally.