As we rang in the new year in January, did anyone expect that the most earth-shattering film release of the year was going to be “Trolls World Tour?” The Universal animated sequel started the year as an afterthought, but thanks to the studio’s decision to release the film directly onto VOD and skip theaters, due to COVID-19, ‘Trolls 2’ has become the source of unprecedented fights between theater owners and the studio. And now, apparently Universal finds itself in the middle of another battle, this time with the voice talent in the film.
According to THR, the lead actors in “Trolls World Tour,” including Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick, are asking Universal to pay them the box office bonuses for the film, due to the unpredicted act of the studio skipping a theatrical release. As is customary with films, many actors involved in the ‘Trolls’ sequel were given contract bonuses that would have been paid out based on how well the film did in theaters. However, it appears that not only did Universal not warn cinemas about the decision to send the film to VOD, but the studio didn’t tell the actors involved, either. Now, Kendrick, Timberlake, and others are asking the studio to pay them their bonuses, which are reportedly in the seven-figures range.
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As mentioned, this is yet another disagreement that Universal is dealing with based on the fallout of the “Trolls World Tour” decision. While the company was likely deciding what release strategy was best based on the situation at hand, the recent news that Universal touted record-breaking VOD numbers and huge revenue has infuriated its theatrical partners and has made “Trolls World Tour” the film that might very well be the first gunshot in a war that could decide the fate of cinemas, as we know them.
It’s somewhat surprising that Universal didn’t have a contingency plan in place for the actors’ bonuses, however. You would think that somewhere along the line, an accountant would have spoken up and expressed concern that the studio could be violating contract terms by skipping theaters entirely. Oh well, that’s the price you pay when you venture into the unknown, I suppose.