How the Studio-Movie Theater Power Dynamic Will Change Without Paramount Decree Antitrust Rules

There could be a financial benefit if the studios did not need to share box office revenues with theater chains

Plans to put an end to antitrust regulations that for decades have prevented major Hollywood studios from taking control of theatrical distribution may do little to change the ownership of movie theaters, but it could very well usher in an even bigger shift in the exhibition power dynamics.

U.S. Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim on Monday addressed the Department of Justice’s intention to end the more than 70-year-old restrictions, known as the Paramount consent decrees, during a conference at the American Bar Association in Washington, D.C. Under the longstanding regulations, Paramount and the other major studios at the time — MGM, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, RKO, Columbia Pictures, Universal and United Artists — were blocked from owning major theater chains and from other practices deemed anti-competitive.

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Trey Williams

Film Reporter covering the biz • trey.williams@thewrap.com • Twitter: @trey3williams