The big question that keeps theater owners and studio executives up at night is simple, yet monumental for the industry—Are people willing to skip the theatrical experience and pay a premium to watch new films in the comfort of their own homes? If yes, that means theaters are in serious trouble (which we’re already seeing with COVID and the rise of streaming services). If no, then studios will have to figure out how to make a profit on a blockbuster film in a time when people aren’t going to movie theaters very much and people have grown accustomed to enjoying Netflix on their couch.

Continue reading Family Films Dominate As ‘Mulan’ Leads The List Of Top PVOD Films During The Pandemic at The Playlist.

As we rang in the new year in January, did anyone expect that the most earth-shattering film release of the year was going to be “Trolls World Tour?” The Universal animated sequel started the year as an afterthought, but thanks to the studio’s decision to release the film directly onto VOD and skip theaters, due to COVID-19, ‘Trolls 2’ has become the source of unprecedented fights between theater owners and the studio.

Continue reading Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake & Other ‘Trolls 2’ Actors Reportedly Want Bonuses Due To The Film Skipping Theaters at The Playlist.

Recently, we talked about how a number of movie theaters in Texas were set to reopen due to the Governor’s relaxing of certain restrictions against non-essential businesses. We detailed what risks were involved and what the theaters were doing to make it as safe as possible for film fans to come back to the big screen. And apparently, though it would seem that many people are still wary of running back to cinemas, there were plenty of Texans willing to go to Santikos Entertainment theaters right as they reopened.

Continue reading ‘Bloodshot,’ ‘Trolls 2’ & More Help Sell Almost 3,000 Movie Tickets In San Antonio Over The Weekend at The Playlist.

Two months ago, no one could have predicted the film industry would be in the position it is right now, courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic. In just a matter of weeks, we’ve seen theaters all around the country close down, productions around the world halted, and studios scrambling to find ways to earn income with films that were supposed to be in cinemas. For Universal, that included releasing “Trolls World Tour” on VOD, bypassing theaters entirely.

Continue reading NBCUniversal CEO Says Theatrical Release Will Be A “Central Element” For Films But VOD Isn’t Going Away at The Playlist.

After weeks of Universal touting the success of its straight-to-VOD strategy for “Trolls World Tour” (with the studio claiming that a theatrical release will come eventually), it appears that the cinema chains are fed up. Earlier, we saw AMC effectively ban all Universal projects from its theaters due to the studio’s release strategy, and now, we have Cineworld (the owners of Regal Cinemas, the second-largest theater chain) making a strong stand, as well.

Continue reading Regal’s Parent Company Calls Universal’s VOD Strategy “Completely Inappropriate” at The Playlist.

Yesterday, we reported how Universal was proudly talking about how the straight-to-VOD release of “Trolls World Tour” earned more revenue in three weeks than the entire theatrical run of the film, domestically. Why would Universal tout this information? Clearly, it was an attempt to show that theatrical distribution of major films isn’t the only way to move forward in a post-COVID-19 world and that the studio would “release movies on both formats” when the pandemic is over.

Continue reading ‘Trolls World Tour’ Drives A Wedge Between Universal & Cinemas, With AMC Banning Studio’s Films at The Playlist.

One of the biggest differences between talking about box office earnings at theaters and VOD earnings is the way that numbers are reported. With box office, there are third party ways to figure out how much a film has earned, keeping studios honest. Whereas on VOD earnings, we rely solely on the studio’s information. So, with that caveat in mind, it’s being reported that the straight-to-VOD release of “Trolls World Tour,” the controversial move made by Universal in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, has already been hugely successful, beyond what the studio hoped for.

Continue reading ‘Trolls 2’ Reportedly Earned More Revenue In 3 Weeks On VOD Than Original Made In 5 Months In Domestic Theaters at The Playlist.

Through all the chaos that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused on the film industry, including the delays of a large number of films that were scheduled to arrive in theaters over the next several months, one film kept its release date, albeit ditching the theatrical part of the equation and going straight to VOD— “Trolls World Tour.” And while box office analysts were debating whether or not Universal did the right thing with this strategy, apparently the numbers speak for themselves, as the ‘Trolls’ sequel has secured a record-breaking opening for the studio.

Continue reading Universal Touts Record-Breaking ‘Trolls World Tour’ VOD Opening As Studio Experiments With A Digital-First Release at The Playlist.

The animated sequel is often as excruciating as holiday gatherings, throwing together the same old visual feasts with the same old characters. Rarely does a “Toy Story” or “How to Train Your Dragon” come along to spice up banality. But “Trolls World Tour,” a hyperconnected sequel to the animated hit “Trolls,” confirms the rule and upends it. In a world where the clouds are puffy, the script is fluffy and the funk is funky, it’s easy to stomach all the glitter a second time around.

Continue reading ‘Trolls World Tour’ Is Like A Candy, All Color But No Substance [Review] at The Playlist.

Today is Monday, and normally on Mondays, we can expect the final box office totals to come in, giving us a look at how well the theater business did over the weekend. However, given the complete closure of cinemas around the US, due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), those numbers aren’t coming. And we’re likely not going to get box office numbers for weeks. This is something that is very concerning for the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) and its leader John Fithian.

Continue reading Theater Group Accuses Universal Of “Lying To Customers” About ‘Trolls’ VOD Release: “Exhibitors Will Not Forget This” at The Playlist.

Movie theaters in the two top markets in the country, New York and Los Angeles, are effectively closed and tens of millions of people are staying home due to the coronavirus pandemic. Looking to minimize the economic impact and give moviegoers more options, Comcast and Universal Studios announced today that a number of films currently in theaters including “The Invisible Man,” “Emma” and “The Hunt” will be available for rental online beginning this Friday, March 20.

Continue reading ‘Invisible Man,’ ‘Emma’ & ‘Trolls: World Tour’ Coming To Digital & VOD Fast at The Playlist.

Released almost three years ago, “Trolls” is an animated film that is probably less known than the soundtrack that featured the hit Justin Timberlake song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” That song was a massive hit and probably is the main reason that “Trolls” earned almost $350 million worldwide at the box office. And even though that’s not a total that screams box office hit (the film cost $125 million to produce), there’s a sequel coming, with even more music to worm its way into your brain.

Continue reading ‘Trolls World Tour’ Trailer: The Trolls Band Together Against Evil Rock Music at The Playlist.

Musicians and singers alike commonly cameo in films and television series. They provide a familiar face, a musical note, or needed comedy for some darker plots. In the past, we rarely would see huge musicians of the time have big roles in movies. Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Bruce Springsteen do not have great film careers for example, even if each of them has specials and album recording documentaries to their names.

Continue reading ‘Trolls World Tour’ Trailer: A Sequel With A Logjam Of Musicians For A New Tribe Of Trolls at The Playlist.

If you don’t have kids, 2016’s “Trolls” may have easily passed you by. But to put it in context, the DreamWorks Animated film was a huge hit that made nearly $350 million worldwide, produced massive merchandising revenue streams and spawned “Trolls: The Beat Goes On!,” a Netflix spin-off show for kids (with none of the original voice actors, but who cares, these things just print money and children will watch the shit out of them).

Continue reading ‘Trolls World Tour’ Trailer: Anna Kendrick &Justin Timberlake Return For DreamWorks’ Animated Hit Sequel at The Playlist.