Why Avengers: Age Of Ultron Made German Theaters Take A Bold Stand Against Disney
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" marked a significant turning point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one where Earth's mightiest heroes were no longer seen as protectors of the planet, but as a threat to innocent civilians around the globe. One could make the argument that "Age of Ultron” is actually the most pivotal movie of the entire Infinity Saga, as it introduced the conflict that would split apart the Avengers in "Captain America: Civil War." This conflict would stretch the team thin during "Avengers: Infinity War" and allow Thanos (Josh Brolin) to kill 50% of all life.
Considering just how crucial this film was to the story of the MCU, it might surprise some fans to learn that the film was actually rather hard to see in Germany. When "Age of Ultron" was released in 2015, hundreds of German theaters boycotted the film to fight back against Disney's expensive rental fees. German theater owners were outraged when Disney raised the rental fee from 47.7% to 53% of ticket sales, which meant that theaters would pay significantly more money to screen "Age of Ultron" over other films.
This particularly affected theater chains in small towns, who could not afford the raised fees and instead chose to simply not screen the movie. A report from Deutsche Welle indicated that over 193 small towns were affected in Germany, and more than 686 screens had refused to screen the film in retaliation.
The film still grossed over $30 million in spite of these protests
Although raising ticket fees from 47.7% to 53% might not seem like a lot to the average moviegoer, the number of theaters that boycotted the film ought to show just how devastating those price shifts can be. "When prices go up, then we have a serious problem that could force movie theaters to close," explained I.G. Nord spokesman Karl-Heinz Meier.
In addition to these expensive rental fees, Disney also slashed their advertising spending in Germany and refused to provide advance payments for 3D glasses. All of these factors meant that this particular boycott was essential for small theater chains across Germany, as their very livelihood could be at stake if Disney continued to increase prices in the future. However, the film still grossed a ludicrous $31.1 million at the box office, the third-highest gross total in Europe behind just England and France.
To date, we don't know how much revenue the film lost out on because of this boycott, nor do we know if Disney ever reached a resolution with these smaller theater chains that struggled to pay their inflated fees. What we do know is the film grossed an international total of $1.4 billion, and although this boycott was an important stand for small business owners in Germany, it doesn't seem to have made a difference to the overall performance of "Avengers: Age of Ultron."