Final cut privilege
Final cut privilege is the right of an individual to approve the version of a film released for public viewing.Condition
Before a film is released, studio executives will often make changes for commercial purposes, or to remove any controversial content, with or without the approval of the director. Sometimes such practices can cause conflict between the director and the studio.
On nearly all occasions in the United States, only established and bankable directors are given final cut privileges. Outside the Hollywood studio system—in France, for example—directors whose reputations are built on artistic merit, as opposed to bankability, frequently have final cut privilege for their films. In the United States there are only some acclaimed, but not necessarily bankable directors, such as Woody Allen, Alexander Payne and Terrence Malick, who enjoy final cut privilege.
