Film Buffs Cannot Believe Trolls World Tour Is Causing So Much Drama Between Universal and Theater Chains

Things have been heating up fast between Universal and theatre chains this week! After the success [...]

By Jamie Jirak

Things have been heating up fast between Universal and theatre chains this week! After the success of Trolls World Tour's VOD release, NBCUniversal executive Jeff Shell told investors that the movie had proven there was a market for films that release for premium rental on the same day the theatrical release happens. That sounds pretty great to a lot of consumers, but it did not go over well with AMC Theatres. The popular chain announced this week that it would no longer be showing Universal movies once theatres re-open. This was a pretty bold move considering Universal has huge movies such as No Time to Die, F9, and Jurassic World: Dominion on their roster. However, in a surprising move, one of AMC's biggest competitors, Regal Cinemas, decided to join the company in refusing to show Universal movies. While it's understandable that theatre chains would feel threatened over movies going straight to VOD, people can't help but worry that this is not in the best interest of any party involved. In addition to having opinions about these threats, many film buffs are baffled by the fact that it was Trolls World Tour that set off this drama.

Universal previously defended its actions in releasing Trolls World Tour on VOD and made it clear they're planning to support the theatrical release model in the future. "We absolutely believe in the theatrical experience and have made no statement to the contrary. As we stated earlier, going forward, we expect to release future films directly to theatres, as well as on PVOD when that distribution outlet makes sense. We look forward to having additional private conversations with our exhibition partners but are disappointed by this seemingly coordinated attempt from AMC and NATO to confuse our position and our actions."

Here are some of the best posts to hit Twitter since AMC and Regal announced they would no longer show Universal movies due to the company's Trolls World Tour comments...

You Have to Laugh to Keep From Crying

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Things Turned Dramatic Quick

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"Call Their Buff"

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A Bleak Future

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"Delusional"

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The Fight Has Begun

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This Unlikely Union, Though

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*Checks Notes*

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Did They Really Think This Through?

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"Bankruptcy"

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Bold or Petty?

What do you think about AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas' decision to stop showing Universal movies? Was this a petty move or good business decision? Tell us in the comments!

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