section_path: Release
section_name: Release
paragraph_text: Release
  
  The Substance was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on May 19, 2024. The film received a standing ovation. It had its second premiere at the Sydney Film Festival on June 16, 2024, followed by other premieres including the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Munich International Film Festival, the Odesa International Film Festival, and the New Horizons Film Festival.
  
  Working Title's parent company, Universal Pictures, which originally signed on as the distributor through a deal with Working Title Films, stepped away from the project but remained credited as a copyright holder in the film's credits. Multiple sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio was "worried about the prospect of releasing the film." According to Fargeat, the film encountered significant challenges during post-production, including a contentious test screening attended by two unnamed male executives and one unnamed female representative from Universal. One male executive vehemently opposed the film and insisted on a recut, a demand deemed unfeasible due to Fargeat's contractual final cut privilege. This led to Universal breaking off their distribution deal with Fargeat. Although the female representative later expressed her support for the film privately to Fargeat, she felt unable to voice her opinion during the screening.
  
  Prior to its Cannes debut, Mubi acquired worldwide rights to the film for $12.5–15 million, planning to distribute it theatrically in North America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America, Benelux as well as holding rights for Turkey and India, with its sales company subsidiary The Match Factory handling worldwide sales. The Substance opened in theaters in the US, UK, Latin America, Germany, Canada, and Netherlands on September 20, 2024, as well as in Spain on October 11, 2024. Metropolitan Filmexport acquired French distribution rights from The Match Factory, and released the film on November 6, 2024.
  
  Advertising and film distribution costs for The Substance were under $20M worldwide and in the single digits in the United States. The marketing used avant-garde imagery such as a chicken bone and shiny hot pink exercise leotard and was overseen by Fargeat. The only vestige of Moore was a one sheet showing her stitched up back. Despite this unconventional approach, the film spread on social media. Demi Moore's posts reached her 15M followers and contributed to a total online reach of 45M across platforms, as estimated by RelishMix (including 7.6M views on TikTok, 10.8M on Instagram, and millions of views for other fan made content).
  
  The film returned to theaters in the United States on January 17, 2025 as part of its awards season campaign, a few days before the announcement of the nominees for the 97th Academy Awards on January 23.
  
  The Substance was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on May 19, 2024. The film received a standing ovation. It had its second premiere at the Sydney Film Festival on June 16, 2024, followed by other premieres including the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Munich International Film Festival, the Odesa International Film Festival, and the New Horizons Film Festival.
  
  Working Title's parent company, Universal Pictures, which originally signed on as the distributor through a deal with Working Title Films, stepped away from the project but remained credited as a copyright holder in the film's credits. Multiple sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio was "worried about the prospect of releasing the film." According to Fargeat, the film encountered significant challenges during post-production, including a contentious test screening attended by two unnamed male executives and one unnamed female representative from Universal. One male executive vehemently opposed the film and insisted on a recut, a demand deemed unfeasible due to Fargeat's contractual final cut privilege. This led to Universal breaking off their distribution deal with Fargeat. Although the female representative later expressed her support for the film privately to Fargeat, she felt unable to voice her opinion during the screening.
  
  Prior to its Cannes debut, Mubi acquired worldwide rights to the film for $12.5–15 million, planning to distribute it theatrically in North America, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America, Benelux as well as holding rights for Turkey and India, with its sales company subsidiary The Match Factory handling worldwide sales. The Substance opened in theaters in the US, UK, Latin America, Germany, Canada, and Netherlands on September 20, 2024, as well as in Spain on October 11, 2024. Metropolitan Filmexport acquired French distribution rights from The Match Factory, and released the film on November 6, 2024.
  
  Advertising and film distribution costs for The Substance were under $20M worldwide and in the single digits in the United States. The marketing used avant-garde imagery such as a chicken bone and shiny hot pink exercise leotard and was overseen by Fargeat. The only vestige of Moore was a one sheet showing her stitched up back. Despite this unconventional approach, the film spread on social media. Demi Moore's posts reached her 15M followers and contributed to a total online reach of 45M across platforms, as estimated by RelishMix (including 7.6M views on TikTok, 10.8M on Instagram, and millions of views for other fan made content).
  
  The film returned to theaters in the United States on January 17, 2025 as part of its awards season campaign, a few days before the announcement of the nominees for the 97th Academy Awards on January 23.