There's trouble brewing in Hollywood, with Cineworld and AMC - the two biggest cinema chains in the US - both taking a stand against Universal over the studio's decision to release movies digitally and bypass the traditional route to market.
With cinemas closed due to the ongoing pandemic, Universal launched Trolls World Tour digitally, and the decision has worked out very well for them, with the movie rented five million times and making more money in three weeks than the first film did in a five-month run at the cinema.
That being the case, and with Netflix also showing that you don't need a cinematic release to make a good movie, no doubt a lot of studios will be looking on with great interest.
Cinema-owners are understandably concerned, and that's why Cineworld has joined AMC in taking a stand and will no longer screen Universal films once restrictions have lifted and cinemas can reopen.
"Universal's move is completely inappropriate and certainly has nothing to do with good faith business practice, partnership and transparency," a Cineworld spokesperson told Variety.
The report mentions that Cineworld won't stream "some" Universal movies - not all - and that the ban includes those launches that don't respect tradition.
"Cineworld's policy with respect to the window is clear, well known in the industry and is part of our commercial deal with our movie suppliers," the company wrote. "We invest heavily in our cinemas across the globe and this allows the movie studios to provide customers all around the world to watch the movies in the best experience.
"There is no argument that the big screen is the best way to watch a movie. Universal unilaterally chose to break our understanding and did so at the height of the Covid-19 crisis when our business is closed, more than 35,000 employees are at home and when we do not yet have a clear date for the reopening of our cinemas."
In response to Cineworld, Universal came back with a statement of their own (via Deadline), saying that "going forward, we expect to release future films directly to theatres, as well as on PVOD [premium video on demand] when that distribution outlet makes sense."
Whatever happens next, it's clear that the pandemic has had a huge impact on the way we consume entertainment, both at home and at the cinema. We just hope that it's people and not profits that come out on top.