AMC Theatres announced on April 28 that the company will discontinue the screening of any current or future films from Universal Pictures, which is one of the biggest film studios in Hollywood and responsible for several major films like Jurassic Park and Despicable Me.
The decision was made by the world’s largest theater chain following comments made by NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell regarding the success after the release of “Trolls World Tour”through Premium Video on Demand, PVOD.
“The results for ‘Trolls World Tour’ have exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the viability for PVOD.” Shell told The Wall Street Journal. “As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.”
The movie, which has made over $100 million since its premium release of 48-hour rentals for $19.99, was originally set to release in theaters in early April. The decision was made to premiere the sequel to the “Trolls” series on PVOD due to the shutting down of theaters during the coronavirus pandemic.
AMC Theatres chair-CEO Adam Aron accused Shell’s comments of “breaking the business model and dealings between our two companies,” in a letter to Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley. His remark “assumes that we will meekly accept a reshaped view of how studios and exhibitors should interact, with zero concern on Universal’s part as to how its actions affect us,” Aron wrote.
AMC stated in their announcement that they will no longer show Universal Pictures movies in any of their theaters around the world, including upcoming blockbuster releases like the“Fast & Furious” franchise’s next release, the next James Bond thriller “No Time to Die” and “Jurassic World: Dominion.”
A Universal spokesperson quickly said that the statement was taken out of context, and that the goal of releasing the continuation to the original Trolls movie was to entertain those who are quarantined at home. They believed the right choice was made, as choosing to not release the film would have negatively impacted the studio’s partners and employees.
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