AMC Entertainment, the world's largest movie theater operator, said on Tuesday it will no longer play any Universal Studios films after parent company NBCUniversal said it would release films for home streaming the same day they're released in theaters.
Gloria Tso reports.
AMC says it will no longer play Universal Studios films in any of its theaters, worldwide.
That came on Tuesday (April 28) after NBCUniversal, which owns Universal Studios said last month it would release films for home streaming -- the same day they're released in theaters.
Some films, like Universal Pictures' "Trolls World Tour," have already been released directly to streaming platforms. AMC Entertainment is the world's largest movie theater operator and in a letter addressed to Universal Studios, CEO Adam Aron explained the decision to drop their films. He said: "AMC believes that with this proposed action to go to the home and theaters simultaneously, Universal is breaking the business model and dealings between our two companies." A Universal spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Several major film releases have been postponed, as theaters around the world have been shuttered since mid-March.
AMC, Regal and Cinemark, the three main movie theater chains in the United States, have all said they do not expect to reopen until this summer.
AMC owns a thousand theaters across the world and said the decision not to play Universal films would apply whenever its theaters reopen.
AMC Theatres on Tuesday delivered a blistering message to Universal Pictures, saying the world's largest cinema chain will no..
