LOS ANGELES — Cinemark USA Inc., the nation’s
third-largest movie theater chain, is threatening not to play the
upcoming Eddie Murphy-Ben Stiller comedy “Tower Heist” in any of its 300
locations if Universal Pictures goes ahead with its plan to offer the
film on premium video on demand just three weeks after it premieres in
theaters.
The bold move would deprive Cinemark of a
substantial share of what’s sure to be tens of millions of dollars, and
potentially more than $100 million, in box-office receipts. It also
calls into question whether the studio will go ahead with the plan and
also risk losing millions.
On Wednesday, news
broke that Universal would make “Tower Heist,” which opens in theaters
Nov. 4, available to about 500,000 homes in two markets, Atlanta and
Portland, Ore., for $59.99 via video on demand.
People
close to Universal said that top executives informed Cinemark and other
theater circuits of its VOD strategy this week after more than a year
of discussions. It appears that Universal Chairman Adam Fogelson and his
team had hoped that exhibitors would feel included in the process and
decide that their business was not threatened because of the limited
nature of the “Tower Heist” test.
But Cinemark,
which operates about 3,800 screens in the U.S., is sticking with its
fierce opposition to the premium VOD business.
It
and other theater chains believe that making movies available to watch
at home sooner than 90 days after premiering encourages consumers to
stay at home instead of buying tickets.
A
Universal spokeswoman declined to comment. Other major theater chains
have yet to disclose their reactions to the “Tower Heist” VOD plan.
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