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Topic: Regal Cinemas bans New Line product

Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 06-28-2001 11:45 AM

Story from today's Hollywood Reporter online edition:

"Several leading exhibition chains are protesting a move by New Line Cinema to join the growing list of distributors who seek to negotiate 'firm terms' on film rentals before a movie is released. The strongest opposition is coming from the nation's largest circuit, Regal Cinemas, which will refuse to screen New Line's upcoming releases 'Rush Hour 2' and 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,' according to sources outside the company. New Line began contacting exhibitors this week, informing them that it will move to fixed rental terms on all of its releases, beginning with 'Rush Hour 2,' which opens Aug. 3. The AOL Time Warner-owned mini-major's corporate stablemate Warner Bros. made the switch to the firm-term model with the release of 'Angel Eyes' last month. That move meant that a majority of major Hollywood studios -- Warner, Fox, DreamWorks, Universal and Sony -- now seek to negotiate film rental terms ahead of movie release. Other studios, including Paramount, Disney and MGM, continue to negotiate rental conditions as films come out of theaters -- a model most exhibitors prefer but studios increasingly portray as cumbersome and inefficient."

Regal has banned certain pictures in the past (Galaxy Quest, Ghost Dog, The Ninth Gate) over terms. Given the fact that Regal is on the verge of a Chapter 11 filing, could this be a genuine threat over terms or an excuse for Regal to avoid paying film rentals?

After all, Rush Hour 2 is a sequel to a major hit and The Lord of the Rings is the most anticipated Xmas release.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 06-29-2001 01:11 AM

hmmmmmmm what ever they want to do. Maybe this means we will be busy at our theater when the movie comes out. Way to go regal keep up the good work. if there are anymore films you don't want go for it.

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Stephen Jones 1
Film Handler

Posts: 62
From: Tulsa, OK, USA
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 06-30-2001 03:05 AM

Yeah, Cinemark didn't play Evolution in any of it's theatres because of negotiations with Dreamworks; but we they did play Shrek and AI...

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-30-2001 09:21 AM

I don't think the terminology is correct the didn't ban it they chose not to show it big difference

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 06-30-2001 10:28 AM

Stephen: A.I. is a Warner Bros. title.

Gordon: Regal has theaters all over the USA, thus their anti-New Line stance amounts to a chainwide ban. If Regal had a really hardball attitude on terms they wouldn't have opened A.I.

As it stands in my area the Regal ban on New Line will only benefit Loews and AMC

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Mike Judge
Film Handler

Posts: 50
From: Seattle, WA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 06-30-2001 01:30 PM

If it were a ban, we would've been told to remove all promotional material, and told that we're not carrying it. So far we have heard nothing. This is how they dealt with Artisan earlier this year, but it's not how they're handeling it now. I'll keep you posted if Regal then chooses to 'ban' it, but right now we haven't heard anything.

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Darryl Spicer
Film God

Posts: 3250
From: Lexington, KY, USA
Registered: Dec 2000

posted 07-13-2001 09:27 AM

It must be true, we were told yesterday that the regal in town would not be playing Rush Hour 2 they play everything that comes out.

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Steven Pickles
Film Handler

Posts: 81
From: Gainesville, FL, USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 07-22-2001 10:24 AM

Surprisingly enough, 'Rush Hour 2' was not on the advanced booking notification sent to my cinema by the home office in Knoxville. Just about every other movie in late July and August was on that piece of paper. I guess its true... although no one has asked for any of the promotional materials to be taken down so perhaps they are still trying to strike a deal.

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Christopher Duvall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Denver, CO
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 07-22-2001 11:24 AM

Steven,
Check your email...I have sent you some info regarding this. Unfortunately, I cannot speak about it here. If you want you can contact me at theatre #840

------------------
Chris Duvall
General Manager
Regal Cinemas Colonnade14
Las Vegas, NV

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Kevin Crawford
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 207
From: Sacramento, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 07-23-2001 08:19 PM

What I am waiting to see, is when over 1/2 of the screens in the US are owned by one entity.

Would it damage the studios, or the exhibitor? Tough to say.

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Jesse Stanley
Film Handler

Posts: 19
From: Chillicothe, OH, USA
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 07-30-2001 07:42 PM

I wonder if Regal will change there minds on the next films from NewLine?

Jesse

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Steven Pickles
Film Handler

Posts: 81
From: Gainesville, FL, USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 07-31-2001 01:45 AM

Just an update on this Rush Hour 2 topic... Regal Cinemas is definitely not showing the film according to the bookings for this coming week.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 08-13-2001 06:26 PM

According to EDI Rush Hour 2 had a $143K+ opening weekend at the Loews in New Brunswick NJ. That Loews megaplex has its main competition in two Regal megaplexes 5 miles north and 5 miles south. People who would have seen Rush Hour 2 in a Regal went to Loews instead.

Last Saturday I was at the Regal in New Roc City (New Rochelle NY). Only 2 movies sold out when I was there -- The Fast and the Furious and The Others. Regal booked Brother to help fill the hole caused by the chain's ban on New Line product. A total of 4 people (myself included) were in the 7 PM show of Brother.

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