
Even if the threat of coronavirus lessens to a point where theaters can reopen for business, audiences aren’t likely to flock to crowded spaces in pre-pandemic numbers anytime soon, and the theaters themselves will likely have to enforce some degree of social distancing that could limit ticket-selling potential. It’s no secret that movie theater chains are in murky waters right now when it comes to their collective financial future. To borrow a line from Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy: Boy, that escalated quickly. Going forward, the chain would refuse to screen any of Universal’s films, Aron threatened. “As soon as theaters reopen, we expect to release movies on both formats.”ĪMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., the world’s largest theater chain, treated the last part of that statement like a metaphorical grenade lobbed at the theater industry, and CEO Adam Aron issued a sternly worded response. “The results for Trolls World Tour have exceeded our expectations and demonstrated the viability of PVOD,” said Shell.


The film’s performance in the streaming market proved the viability of “premium video on demand” (PVOD) as an option for movie releases, according to Jeff Shell, the head of Universal’s parent company NBCUniversal.
