Disney May Be Extending Their Hand a Little with Star Wars
You don’t mess with Disney, but a number of theaters haven’t taken severe issue with their rules for screening Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
As one of the biggest corporations, Disney owns the rights serious money-maker properties, whether its Marvel, Pixar or Star Wars. But, apparently, ownership of Star Wars has made the company bolder than usual. As revealed by SlashFilm (via FilmSchoolRejects), the corporation’s extreme expectations have led theaters to withdraw from screening The Last Jedi.
The Wall Street Journal details the issues as follows:
“Those terms include the fact that Disney will receive 65% of revenue from ticket sales, the highest percentage a Hollywood studio has ever demanded. They’re also forcing theaters to screen the film in their largest auditorium for at least four weeks. For previous Star Wars movies, the studio has required 64% of the revenue from ticket sales and four-week commitments, but typical Disney movies only require a two-week commitment.”
Any theater that shows Star Wars: The Last Jedi without adhering to the rules will be forced to give an additional 5% on top of the 65% fee. That’s 70%. Since studios usually demand a 55-60% cut, this marks a significant increase. Giving in to Disney’s demands may open the floodgates for more studios to increase screening costs. Worse, theaters fear the move will eventually increase ticket prices.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrives on December 15th. We’ll keep you updated on the latest story updates.