Might Odeon be showing Universal movies after all when cinema reopen? There’s been a little bit of progress.
Well, this might just be one of those fusses that’s slowly died down a bit. Off the back of Universal Pictures’ decision to bypass a cinema release altogether for the film Trolls World Tour, it then suggested it was looking for a similar model for other films in the future.
This went down like a proverbial fart in a car over at the offices of AMC Theaters in the US, the huge multiplex chain that owns Odeon Cinemas in the UK. It loudly suggested that if Universal was going to give theatrical releases short shrift, then it’d refuse to show any more of its films. Films in the UK on the Universal slate include No Time To Die, and Jurassic World and Minions sequels, to name just a few.
It all made headlines, and then the story went quiet, with the world seemingly having a few other things to focus on instead.
Now, though, fresh word has popped up courtesy of AMC’s quarterly earnings statement. Whilst there’s no resolution as of yet, there is at least talk of a way forward. The statement included the words “while we are in active dialogue with Universal, no movies made by Universal Studios are currently on our docket”, backed up by chatter from AMC’s CEO Adam Aron. He said that “relations are warm with Universal”.
He added that “they have always been warm, and I’m using that as a good word. There’s nothing personal about this issue with Universal. I have great respect for Universal’s executives. It’s just an issue about money. We are in active dialogue with Universal”.
Expect this all to be resolved and toys returned to prams in due course.
Image: BigStock
————
Thank you for visiting! If you’d like to support our attempts to make a non-clickbaity movie website:
Become a Patron here.
Sign up for our email newsletter here.
Follow Film Stories on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.
Buy our Film Stories and Film Stories Junior print magazines here.
Related Stories
- Yesterday lawsuit thrown out by US judge
The legal dispute over Ana de Armas' brief appearance in the trailer of Yesterday, despite not featuring in the final film, has been quashed by a judge.
You may recall a story that emerged all the way back from early 2022, when we learned that Universal was being sued with a class action lawsuit that accused it [...]
- Wes Anderson chats about upcoming Roald Dahl adaptation, Henry Sugar
Wes Anderson talks Henry Sugar, Netflix and cinemas as he considers how to get the unconventional tale before audiences.
Wes Anderson is in a creatively fertile moment right now (although in fairness, when is he not? We'd bet that even when he makes scrambled eggs, they'd have a flair-filled, cinematic aesthetic to them.
His latest film, Asteroid City is [...]
- Universal’s move to quicker premium video on demand is reportedly paying off
Universal's flexible approach to post-theatrical launches seems to be paying off and represents a victory for studio chair, Donna Langley.
Universal seem to be having a pretty good 2023, especially when you line the studio up against some of its rivals such as Disney, who seems to be struggling to regain its pre-pandemic momentum. Universal's The [...]
- Universal closes in on Nintendo deal for Legend Of Zelda movie
As The Super Mario Bros. Movie continues to add to its impressive box office haul, Universal sets out to adapt another Nintendo favourite.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is riding high as the box office hit of 2023, with Universal's animated take on the beloved Italian plumbers surging to a mighty $1.3bn box office haul, currently the highest that [...]
- The Purge 6 is stuck in limbo, the film’s director reveals
Still holding out hope for that next Purge film? You might want to adjust your expectations somewhat.
We first heard that a sixth entry in The Purge series was coming all the way back in March of 2021 when series stalwart Frank Grillo broke the news. Six months later, the production was seemingly greenlit, with confirmation that James DeMonaco, [...]
