Disney Asking A Lot From Theaters Looking To Show Star Wars: The Last Jedi

With Star Wars: The Last Jedi possibly being one of the most anticipated movies to be released this year, it’s safe to say that many theaters are looking forward to the huge crowds that they’ll be drawing in. However it seems in order to reap the benefits of screening Star Wars at their venues, these theaters might have to put up with a pretty huge list of demands from Disney.

In a report from The Wall Street Journal (via ArsTechnica), it seems that Disney is asking quite a lot from theaters who are hoping to screen the movie. For starters it seems that Disney wants a bigger cut of the ticket proceeds than before, or possibly ever. The report claims that the company is asking to receive roughly 65% of ticket sales, which is higher than what is usually asked, where the split is 40% abroad, to 55% on the average, and only 60% for the largest hits.

It is also reported that Disney is insisting that Star Wars: The Last Jedi be shown in the participating theater’s largest auditorium for at least four weeks, and that the theaters are required to sign individually watermarked contracts so that the official language does not leak, and that any marketing done must be held until Disney gives them the greenlight.

It also states that should any theater violate the agreement, Disney can charge them an additional 5%. While some of these conditions might not be an issue for cinemas in a city with a big population, ArsTechnica points out that this could prove to be a problem for smaller towns where having a single movie book out your largest auditorium for an entire month could mean a huge waste of seats.

Tyler Lee
Categories: General
Tags: Disney, Entertainment, Movies, Social Hit, Star Wars