AMC Will Not Play Universal Movies Anymore In Wake Of Trolls World Tour

[RAMROD 96,427]

AMC Theatres has hit hard at Universal Pictures, announcing it will no longer play any of the studio’s films in the wake of NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell’s promise to open titles on premium and in theaters at the same time.

Universal used the PVOD format to release “Trolls World Tour” on April 10 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and widespread theater closures rather than wait for theaters to reopen.

AMC Theaters chairman-CEO Adam Aron attacked the notion of breaking that 90-day window in a strongly worded letter to Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley, saying the change in releasing policy is unacceptable.

“It is disappointing to us, but Jeff’s comments as to Universal’s unilateral actions and intentions have left us with no choice,” Aron said in the letter. “Therefore, effectively immediately AMC will no longer play any Universal movies in any of our theaters in the United States, Europe or the Middle East.”

“This policy affects any and all Universal movies per se, goes into effect today and as our theaters reopen, and is not some hollow or ill-considered threat. Incidentally, this policy is not aimed solely at Universal out of pique or to be punitive in any way, it also extends to any movie maker who unilaterally abandons current windowing practices absent good faith negotiations between us, so that they as distributor and we as exhibitor both benefit and neither are hurt from such changes,” Aron said. “Currently, with the press comment today, Universal is the only studio contemplating a wholesale change to the status quo. Hence, this immediate communication in response.”

“Universal’s unilateral pronouncements on this issue are unpalatable to us, as has always been the case, AMC is willing to sit down with Universal to discuss different windows strategies and different economic models between your company and ours,” he said. “However, in the absence of such discussions, and an acceptable conclusion thereto, our decades of incredibly successful business activity together has sadly come to an end.”

 

Full story at source:

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/amc-theatres-trolls-world-tour-dispute-1234592445/

 

Well, not gonna blame AMC. When you got contract for it that you need to abide, but didn't, always resulting in bitterness and burning bridges.

What's worse is, AMC is the largest cinema franchise in the world. Universal is so fxcked. 

[elijahfan 23,564]

Imagine losing business because of a Trolls movie....  Was it worth it, Universal?

[RAMROD 96,427]

Just now, elijahfan said:

Imagine losing business because of a Trolls movie....  Was it worth it, Universal?

Tru. One step forward two steps back

[GooberChill 456]

9 minutes ago, elijahfan said:

Imagine losing business because of a Trolls movie....  Was it worth it, Universal?

Interestingly enough Universal actually made MORE money with Trolls 2 being released in streaming services.  The ones eating sh*t here are AMC.  They also treat their employees like garbage, particularly now during the pandemic. 

[RAMROD 96,427]

4 minutes ago, GooberChill said:

Interestingly enough Universal actually made MORE money with Trolls 2 being released in streaming services.  The ones eating sh*t here are AMC.  They also treat their employees like garbage, particularly now during the pandemic. 

 

Let's see how long they will do that before crawling back to AMC

[GooberChill 456]

Just now, RAMROD said:

 

Let's see how long they will do that before crawling back to AMC

Awkwardly enough the Trolls 2 stats show they dont even need theaters anymore, much less just AMC. Harkins and others will still show Universal Pictures. AMC was already hurting financially, not sure why they are publicly protesting. I'm pretty sure its to incite loyalists against Universal which is silly but not surprising the USA has such a culture that can do that. 

[Spock 20,290]

I mean, I understand where exhibitors are coming from but tbh they can choke. The fact that it’s come to this is entirely their fault.
 

They constantly refused to adapt to the 21st century whenever studios floated ideas in the past, and insist on maintaining Flintstone age consumption methods that just don’t work anymore,  threatening studios with strikes and lawsuits 

It’s really awful it took a global pandemic to modernize things, but I am glad they did 

[RAMROD 96,427]

3 minutes ago, GooberChill said:

Awkwardly enough the Trolls 2 stats show they dont even need theaters anymore, much less just AMC. Harkins and others will still show Universal Pictures. AMC was already hurting financially, not sure why they are publicly protesting. I'm pretty sure its to incite loyalists against Universal which is silly but not surprising the USA has such a culture that can do that. 

 

Troll World Tour is one movie. And it is kids oriented. Parents during this quarantine had to find a way to keep their children entertained. Hence the high gross. People ain't gonna VOD'd every movies they gonna watch. Also, people will still want to make an event out of movies they want to watch and chooses to watch them on Cinema instead. This gross for Trolls World Tour means nothing 

Besides what AMC did can always be replicated by another cinema chains worldwide now that they can know they can do that, cos it is their businesses that is attacked in the end. Don't think this is just USA thing.

[Ziggy 10,357]

9 minutes ago, GooberChill said:

Interestingly enough Universal actually made MORE money with Trolls 2 being released in streaming services.  The ones eating sh*t here are AMC.  They also treat their employees like garbage, particularly now during the pandemic. 

I mean, two things...1) I don't know if we can really say that it made more money being on streaming when it literally didn't get released in theaters. We don't have the numbers to back this claim up. 2) If I were any businessman, I wouldn't be forecasting the success and viability of forgoing theatrical release entirely based on one movie, dropped when theaters weren't really an option, and that one movie being a bit niche. It's not like it was a Marvel film or anything where there might have been a bigger argument for its ability to forecast the new release model.

To me, this just all seems like a bit of a random thing. They had a movie that they spent a buttload to promote and unless they wanted that promo budget to balloon again, they couldn't delay release. This seems very much like a specific case and not a good example for any future release plans.

[weed 67,029]

Movie theaters need to do something major, it’s complex wbk but eventually they will go out of business with the rising prices and more and more at-home content with bigger TVs in households. I feel bad bc I love going to the movies but times are changing

[Spock 20,290]

14 minutes ago, RAMROD said:

 

Troll World Tour is one movie. And it is kids oriented. Parents during this quarantine had to find a way to keep their children entertained. Hence the high gross. People ain't gonna VOD'd every movies they gonna watch. Also, people will still want to make an event out of movies they want to watch and chooses to watch them on Cinema instead. This gross for Trolls World Tour means nothing 

Besides what AMC did can always be replicated by another cinema chains worldwide now that they can know they can do that, cos it is their businesses that is attacked in the end. Don't think this is just USA thing.

True, but at the same time I don’t think studios want to completely drop theaters and directly release digitally. Trolls 2 is an exception because, like you say, it’s for kids and no one had the balls to release a major blockbuster. I think what studios ideally want is to shorten exhibition windows and/or make PVOD more widespread, with a theatrical exhibition, which is what exhibitors are refusing to do. 
 

I think this is mostly just US because off the top of my head, they’re the only country to have such a highly regulated distribution/exhibition market due to guilds and stuff. Also France for example has this incredibly idiotic and prehistoric law that they prohibit anything on streaming that has been released in the past three years  they have a three year window  in 2020   

[BROSEIDON 1,214]

13 minutes ago, Spock said:

True, but at the same time I don’t think studios want to completely drop theaters and directly release digitally. Trolls 2 is an exception because, like you say, it’s for kids and no one had the balls to release a major blockbuster. I think what studios ideally want is to shorten exhibition windows and/or make PVOD more widespread, with a theatrical exhibition, which is what exhibitors are refusing to do. 
 

I think this is mostly just US because off the top of my head, they’re the only country to have such a highly regulated distribution/exhibition market due to guilds and stuff. Also France for example has this incredibly idiotic and prehistoric law that they prohibit anything on streaming that has been released in the past three years  they have a three year window  in 2020   

I seriously gasped out loud reading that. A mess!

[Dominic 11,922]

I think the cinema is something we should try and preserve so I agree with AMC however cinemas need to do something to keep up in a streaming age. Reclining seats are nice and all but when you have to take a mortgage out to afford a small popcorn, bigger seats just won't do.