According to a Wall Street Journal story, theaters must commit to a handful of terms laid out by Disney in order to show “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
The countdown is on for millions of “Star Wars” fans: It’s one month until the new installment of the mega-popular series hits theaters.
One theater that won’t be showing “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” when it opens Dec. 15 is northeast Iowa’s Elkader Cinema .
“The biggest reason that I’m not going to show it is the four-week minimum play time,” owner Lee Akin told the Des Moines Register. “My little town cannot afford to play any movie for that long of a time.”
Elkader’s population is about 1,200. Akin’s theater in town is a single-screen auditorium that shows films at 7 p.m. on weeknights and in the afternoon on weekends. Ticket prices range from $4 to $9.25.
Why is this a big deal?
According to a Wall Street Journal story, theaters must commit to a handful of terms laid out by Walt Disney Co. in order to show “Last Jedi.” Some terms, per WSJ, include Disney receiving about 65 percent of ticket revenue — the largest cut a studio has ever asked from theaters.
Additionally, Disney is requiring theaters to screen the film in their largest auditorium for at least four weeks.
“I can’t get the entire town in my auditorium in one week’s time let alone four,” Akin said.
Violating the terms of the distribution agreement results in an additional 5 percent cut, WSJ reports — rounding out to 70 percent of profit from sales.
WSJ added that Disney’s terms on “Last Jedi” start if the film collects more than $500 million in the U. S. and Canada. It is expected to be a box-office smash.
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