The Transit Drive-In is standing up to Disney after an ongoing discussions regarding the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
According to the drive-in theatre, the two parties were not able to come to an agreement on a deal for showing the movie. Transit Drive-in says Disney offered a "take it or leave it" deal that offered the highest percentage of ticket sales the theater has ever been asked to pay. The drive-in felt it would have set a precedent for future negotiations that it was not prepared to accommodate.
The deal would have also resulted in higher movie rental fees which would have resulted in higher ticket prices for customers, according to the Transit theatre.
The theatre also says Disney was "demanding" Beauty and the Beast be shown as a co-feature during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's first week of showing. Transit Drive-in says it has already shown this movie for seven straight weeks. During the second and third weeks of showing, Disney required the theatre to show its nature documentary, Born In China, as the co-feature.
"Due to these unreasonable demands that only come from one studio, Walt Disney Pictures, we are regretfully passing on the opportunity to show this movie during its opening few weeks," Transit Drive-in Theatre announced.
The drive-in is expecting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to be available later in the month as a co-feature with the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which opens May 26.
"We are in this business to show the best new movies, so it is painful for us to have to make this difficult decision, which we have been struggling with ourselves for over the past several days," the drive-in said. "However, we have come to the harsh conclusion that it is in the best long-term interests of our drive-in theatre, and for our customers, to decline showing a new movie when a studio's terms or demands are unprecedented and unfair."
7 Eyewitness News has reached out to Disney for a comment, but has not yet heard back.
