Theater chains upset with Sony over MEATBALLS early home viewing release
In an effort to promote the streaming capabilities of their new hardware, Sony is giving purchasers of the Bravia TV system and certain Blu-ray players a free rental of CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS. Customers will be able to rent the movie for 24 hours between December 8th until January 5th. The DVD release of the film is set for January 5th.
This promotion comes less than three months after the theatrical release of MEATBALLS, and exhibitors are angry over Sony's decision to release the film so soon after its theatrical opening. At least four major theater chains have threatened to pull MEATBALLS from their theaters: Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, and Marcus Theatres.
As a result, MEATBALLS could be playing in as few as 300 theaters this weekend. So if you've been waiting to see the film in the theaters, like I have, you may be out of luck. MEATBALLS grossed about $1.3 million last weekend, so the end of the theatrical campaign is likely to cause a revenue loss for Sony, according to the The Hollywood Reporter.
The rental will be in 720p resolution compared to the resolution of Blu-ray discs, which is 1080p. Those who don't qualify for the free rental can opt to pay a $24.95 rental fee, which is about the price of a Blu-ray disc, for the 24 hour rental. It's still unknown exactly which TVs and Blu-ray players qualify for the free rental, or if there will be a certain time frame during which the purchase of the hardware must have taken place. It is known that the PS3 will not have access to the film.
I suppose the early rental of the film is a good deal for those with large families who can't justify the expense of going to the theater, but the early access and 24 hour rental term don't seem to be entirely worth that price tag, in my opinion. I'll probably preview the film on on Netflix or Redbox if I can't see it in the theater before making the decision to purchase the DVD.
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