The most controversial movie of the year is … Trolls World Tour? As innocuous as the rainbow-colored, music-blaring animated movie may seem, the digital release of the Trolls sequel has caused a storm to course through the movie industry.
Just as the pandemic worsened and movie theaters were shuttering, Universal Pictures shifted the film’s release to video on demand, leading a charge straight through the theatrical window.
Universal calls the Trolls World Tour digital release a success and suggests it may be the beginning of a sea change in how movies are released.
Theater owners strenuously disagree. AMC Theatres, the largest chain in the U.S., is signaling an all-out war, saying it will no longer show Universal movies.