Cloudy Digital Release Angers Theater Owners

Thursday, November 12, 2009
By: Thomas J. Mclean

Sony’s plans to release Dec. 8 its animated feature Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs on digital platforms available on certain internet-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players has upset theater owners who are threatening to pull the film.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, at least four major theatrical chains are considering pulling Meatballs from theaters because the digital release is too soon after the theatrical release. The chains named in the report are Regal, AMC, Cinemark and Marcus Theatres.

The digital platform release comes almost a month before even the DVD and Blu-ray release of the film, which is set for Jan. 4.

Released in theaters in both 2-D and 3-D versions on Sept. 18, the film is still performing well having grossed $1.3 million last week in just over 1,100 theaters. It has so far grossed more than $120 million at the domestic box office.

The theater count for the film is expected to drop to as few as 300 this weekend, according to The Reporter.

Reader Comments

• Sidney Ikgegami : Exhibition East Entrepreneur : EEE

  Saturday, November 21, 2009

  Theater owners have been angry for half a century. They are still ticked about The Pirates of Penzance movie starring Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt which was released the same day to pay television and theaters. It bombed in both venues but that made surly theater owners even madder. Some people are just born crabby.