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  • January 2022 (Revised February 2022)
  • Teaching Note
  • HBS Case Collection

Universal During COVID: The Future of Theatrical Windows

By: Hong Luo, Henry McGee and Carol Lin
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:9
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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought enormous disruption to the movie industry, closing theaters indefinitely by mid-March 2020, halting television and film production, and throwing theatrical release schedules into disarray. Shell had assumed the CEO position at NBC Universal just months before the beginning of the pandemic and now had several important decisions to make. One immediate decision he faced was how to handle the release of Trolls: World Tour, the highly anticipated sequel to a successful animated film, which had been scheduled to premiere in theaters nationwide in early April. Jeff’s decision regarding the Trolls distribution strategy would not only impact the sequel’s performance but would also likely have a far-reaching impact on the entire film industry, which had seen studios and theaters battle over the length of the theatrical window for decades. With the pandemic weakening the theater industry’s bargaining power, had the opportunity finally arrived for film studios to significantly shorten, or even eradicate, the theatrical window?

Keywords

COVID-19 Pandemic; Leadership; Decisions; Strategy; Negotiation; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

Citation

Luo, Hong, Henry McGee, and Carol Lin. "Universal During COVID: The Future of Theatrical Windows." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 722-420, January 2022. (Revised February 2022.)
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About The Authors

Hong Luo

Strategy
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Henry W. McGee

Entrepreneurial Management
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Related Work

    • January 2022 (Revised February 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Universal During COVID: The Future of Theatrical Windows

    By: Hong Luo, Henry McGee and Carol Lin
Related Work
  • Universal During COVID: The Future of Theatrical Windows By: Hong Luo, Henry McGee and Carol Lin
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