Boyle reveals Slumdog Millionaire distribution struggle

A triumphant Danny Boyle recalled yesterday how Slumdog Millionaire came within a whisker of never making it to cinemas - after the economic downturn forced his film’s original distributors out of business.

Six months ago, the director was suddenly informed that Warner Independent was being closed down and that Slumdog, to which he’d devoted a year of his life, would be condemned to the obscurity of a straight-to-DVD release.

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That was before Fox Searchlight heard of Boyle's feel-good fable about contemporary Mumbai. They bought rights to the film for a song, and quietly went about turning it into a word of mouth smash hit.

Today, despite still being on limited release in a handful of US cinemas until Monday, Slumdog has already made more than twice its $15 million budget.

“Its an incredible stroke of luck,” Boyle recalled. “Fox are the one outfit who were good enough at what they do for it to have worked. But that kind of Cinderella story is what Slumdog Millionaire is about. And really, that’s what India’s all about, too.”

Boyle, who was speaking to The Independent at an awards season tea party hosted by BAFTA, said he hoped the success would now guarantee his film the audience it deserves.

“The awards are very flattering, obviously, and great for what I like to call my bathroom ego, which is the ego no-one sees but me, when I look into the mirror. But what’s really important is the platform they give the film.”

“It will benefit more than anyone could ever imagine. In this climate, for serious, adult, films that aren’t studio tent poles, or blockbusters, winning awards its incredibly important. For independent films, it's really the only thing that still gives them enough exposure to have a chance.”