With Star Wars: The Last Jedi set to be the biggest box-office movie of the year, The Magic Kingdom is making sure it can recoup as many Disney dollars as possible when the film hits this December.
The Wall Street Journal are reporting that before US exhibitors can show the highly anticipated film, they must first commit to a set of rules laid down by the studio. In a move that the theatres are said to consider to be “the most onerous they have ever seen”, Disney are asking for about 65% of ticket revenue from the film, which is a record figure for a Hollywood studio. They are also requiring that theaters show the movie in their largest auditorium for at least four weeks.
SEE ALSO: STAR WARS THE LAST JEDI GETS ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL POSTER
If cinemas ignore the terms, Disney can take an additional 5% cut, bringing the studio’s total haul to 70% of sales on a film predicted to gross approximately $500m at the domestic box-office.
With box-office revenue down 5% so far this year, such rules put even more pressure on theatres, who need all of the Disney blockbusters they can get to keep profits up, having already benefitted from the huge takings of Beauty and the Beast, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Thor: Ragnarok, can they really stand up to the studio?
Do you think this is just a sign of the times, or a Palpatine-esque power play from the studio? Head to The Wall Street Journal for an in-depth breakdown.
In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set for release on December 14th in the UK and December 15th in the States and sees returning cast members Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron), Lupita Nyong’o (Maz Kanata), Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Billie Lourd (Lieutenant Connix), Andy Serkis (Supreme Leader Snoke), Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar), Mike Quinn (Nien Nunb), Simon Pegg (Unkar Plutt), and Warwick Davis joined by new additions Jimmy Vee (Pan) as R2-D2, Kelly Marie Tran (Ladies Like Us) as Rose, and Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park).
Originally published November 1, 2017. Updated November 2, 2017.
