First iTunes Movie Premiere: Purple Violets

9to5mac reminds us that the first feature film to be launched exclusively on iTunes is opening today. Written and directed by Edward Burns, Purple Violets is a romantic comedy starring Selma Blair, Debra Messing, and Patrick Wilson. A preview page is already available on iTunes (though ordering is currently unavailable) along with a trailer.

The LA Times notes that this digital-only distribution experience may take some getting used to:

As the first full-length feature to premiere exclusively on Apple's iTunes store -- not in theaters -- your date would have to be cool with coming over to watch the movie on your laptop. Or desktop. Or even on the gorgeous little 3-inch by 2-inch screen of your iPod Touch -- since nothing says romance like sharing ear buds.

But director Edward Burns wants his fans to be able to see his films when they are released, and not face the same issues with limited distribution that he has dealt with in the past. Online film distribution also eliminates printing and distribution costs. That being said, the ultimate success of a film may be limited by this form of distribution. Apple's vice president of iTunes reveals that while the most popular movies have sold "hundreds of thousands" copies each, no single iTunes movie has broken the 1 million download mark.

iTunes Link: Purple Violets, $12.99 Pre-Order pricing