Quentin Tarantino Accuses Disney of 'Extortion' Over 'Star Wars' Booking

[tomm2thumbs]

Source: Variety

He says Disney is strong-arming Arclight Cinemas, pushing his 70MM “The Hateful Eight” out of the L.A. theater’s renowned Cinerama Dome for J.J. Abrams’ “The Force Awakens.” Tarantino explains that ArcLight Cinemas told Disney they would play “The Hateful Eight” in the Cinerama Dome starting on Christmas, but Disney threatened to pull “Star Wars” from all locations if the film couldn’t stay in that one theater. “It’s vindictive, it’s mean and it’s extortion,” Tarantino added. <snip>

The Oscar-winning director claims Disney is “going out of their way to f— me,” among other choice words he used on the Howard Stern SiriusXM radio show Wednesday.

(audio interview at the link on Variety)




also Mediaite covering, along with Hollywood Reporter and a host of other news organizations:
http://www.mediaite.com/online/tarantino-accuses-vindictive-disney-of-extorting-star-wars-to-lock-out-hateful-eight/

Tarantino told Howard Stern in an interview today that he had a viewing specification contract with ArcLight Cinemas for the premiere of The Hateful Eight at their iconic Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles. However, Tarantino alleges that when Disney executives extended the stay of Star Wars through the holiday season, they demanded Tarantino’s slot at the Dome and threatened to pull the film from Arclight Cinemas nationwide otherwise.




Read more: http://variety.com/2015/film/news/quentin-tarantino-disney-extortion-star-wars-hateful-eight-1201663184/

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This is no doubt going to cause a huge headache for Disney folks, known for wholesome children's movies and being family-friendly and good natured. Being accused of strong-armed tactics against a theater owner, and claims of extortion-like tactics to threaten the owner's business puts Disney squarely in the spotlight they do not want to be in, as Star Wars should be leading the headlines, not news connecting 'Disney' and 'extortion'.

My assumption is that names will be named and heads will roll for fully mucking up what should have been a one-story juggernaut on the new Star Wars movie's opening, not how Disney allegedly wants to bully its way into theaters against another filmmaker's prior agreement.

[DonCoquixote]

1. considering that Tarnetino made Disney lots of money

This can bite Disney in the end, however, "star Wars" is a juggernaut, and nothing will get in it's way. This where where Disney needs to promise quentin something nice for playing along.

[jberryhill]

2. Disney has always been like that

Walt himself was a mean spirited son of a bitch.

[elehhhhna]

4. Imo the release of the decade (eyeroll) should demand the best space

Why wouldn't they? Negotiation is not a bad thing.

[jberryhill]

6. "Negotiation" and "tortious interference" are two different things

[BumRushDaShow]

12. "Disney has always been like that"

^^ THAT ^^

[SunSeeker]

3. I would be shocked if the Dome's contract with Tarantino did not give the Dome an out.

I think Tarantino is just out of luck. Welcome to show business.

[GOLGO 13]

5. Foolish rebel

How do you not realize the forces that you are dealing with? Disney will not be denied.

[sarge43]

7. Taking on the House of the Mouse? Good luck with that, QT

You're taking a knife to a nuclear exchange.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. "Say Walt again!!! I dare you!!! I double dare you!!!"

[demwing]

19. LOL..I see Walt you did there!

[Yavin4]

9. I knew this would happen. Star Wars is crowding out the Oscar contenders from the theaters.

This is why movies like this are released during the summer.

[geomon666]

10. .

[Codeine]

11. .

[Calista241]

15. Lol. nice meme. I literally laughed out load when i saw this.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. !

[cui bono]

14. They are not known for being "good natured" in the business end of things.

[Dawson Leery]

16. If Star Wars were my franchise, I would never have sold it to

Disney. 21st Century Disney is as corporate and authoritarian as the old anti-Semite Walt himself.

[Omaha Steve]

17. Marta doesn't like his films but we would both go to LA to see this in 70mm

We visited the Cinerama Dome in 04. We didn't have time to watch a film on that huge curved screen. Hard to believe they almost tore it down. Now it is their crown jewel.

K&R!

OS

[Midnight Writer]

18. Reminds me of the Top 40 Payola scandals in the music industry

One music exec famously said "I may not get my record played, but I sure as hell can stop your record from being played".

But Tarantino should know better than to let his film be released to compete with Star Wars. He has been around long enough, and presumably has enough box office clout, that he should not have allowed this.

[Scuba]

20. I'm much more anxious to see "Hateful Eight" than the new "Star Wars" but I'm a sucker for ...

... winter scenery.

[mainer]

21. Business as usual in the Hollywood cesspool

Quentin knows he can't win. The studios are run by sociopaths, and they will send all their forces to destroy him. Just look at the comments on the Variety article -- it's Disney stooges, there to attack Tarantino.

(Plus all the cops who are pissed off at him because of his comments about law enforcement.)