The strength of the Force might be inflating the ego of Disney and Lucasfilm, it seems. Star Wars: The Last Jedi will come to theaters on December 15th, however, not all theaters will be able to withstand the pressure the studio giants are imposing on them.
Disney and Lucasfilm are demanding a sixty-five percent cut of all proceeds from the screening of the newest film in the franchise, as well as assurance it will air in the biggest auditorium in each theater for a full five weeks. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Star Wars and Marvel franchises have been so successful, they feel completely within their rights to ask for so much. These terms will be easier met for bigger theater chains in more populated parts of the country, however, smaller chains with theaters having a small amount of screens won’t be able to meet those demands.
Previous Star Wars movies had similar terms, however, only sixty-four percent of proceeds and four weeks in the biggest auditorium in any given theater were required. If these strict rules aren’t met, theater owners will face a five percent penalty, which would raise the amount the studios expect from sixty-five percent to seventy percent. This is causing some owners to call it “the most onerous they’ve ever seen.”
December is a particularly busy month for movie releases, so the aforementioned theaters that are small and they might only have three screens will have a hard time keeping Disney and Lucasfilm happy. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, The Greatest Showman, The Disaster Artist, Phantom Thread, and Molly’s Game are all due to release the same month as Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Correct me if I am wrong, but that list exceeds 3 films.
Most people live in proximity to a theater that will be able to accommodate the demands associated with this film, so this won’t be a huge problem for most. Others will have to travel to see the highly anticipated film.
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