CGV and Lotte Cinema Refuse to Screen 'Trolls' "Simultaneous VOD Release Not Allowed"

Megabox Releases Without Coordination with Universal Pictures "We Need to Broaden Movie Viewing"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jonggil Lee] CGV and Lotte Cinema have refused to screen DreamWorks Animation's "Troll: World Tour," which opens on the 29th. The reason is that the distributor Universal Pictures is pushing for simultaneous release in theaters and on video-on-demand (VOD).

On the 8th, CGV and Lotte Cinema stated their position, explaining, "Our internal policy is not to release films that are simultaneously released in theaters and the secondary ancillary rights market." Films shown on screens are usually released to the ancillary rights market after a grace period of 2 to 3 weeks. CGV and Lotte Cinema have strictly excluded films that deviate from this framework. This includes Netflix films. Although the grace period was extended to eight days, it was not accepted. The special situation of the COVID-19 pandemic was no exception. A representative said, "It is difficult to acquire content by breaking the existing order." Another official expressed concern, saying, "They must compete on the same level as regular films. Otherwise, it could cause confusion in the film ecosystem."

As a result, "Troll: World Tour" will only be released at Megabox among the three major multiplex chains. This company had already opened its doors to Netflix films (The King: Henry 5) in October last year. At that time, they went through a negotiation process, including extending the grace period to eight days, but this time they accepted Universal Pictures' demands as is. A representative explained, "Since this decision was made by Universal Pictures headquarters considering the COVID-19 situation, there was no room for negotiation." They added, "It will be an opportunity to broaden customers' movie-watching options and internally attempt new initiatives."

"Troll: World Tour" is a sequel to "Troll," released in 2016. It depicts a music battle taking place in six troll villages consisting of pop, rock, classical, country, punk, and techno genres. Girl group Red Velvet's Wendy and boy group SF9's Rowoon participated in the Korean dubbing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.