AMC Theatres announced late Tuesday that it will no longer show any movies by Universal Pictures, effective immediately. AMC, the world's largest movie theater chain, cited Universal's decision to release Trolls World Tour directly to on-demand rentals as theaters were shuttered and people were stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The studio said Tuesday that the Trolls sequel had brought in $100 million since its premium video on demand (PVOD) release April 10. Studios typically wait 90 days after a movie's release to offer it digitally.
"The results for Trolls World Tour have exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the viability of PVOD," NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell told The Wall Street Journal. "As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats." AMC chairman and CEO Adam Aron cited Shell's comments in his letter to Universal chairman Donna Langley.
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