THE DARK SIDE OF DISNEY AS CINEMAS CRY FOUL OVER STAR WARS DEAL

CINEMAS showing the latest Stars Wars film will be forced to give 65pc of their ticket sales back to Disney.

Cinema chains have been left reeling over the studio’s stringent release requirements, which forces them to hand over a larger-than-usual chunk of their sales.

According to The Wall Street Journal, cinemas can only show The Last Jedi, released at Christmas, if they agree that franchise owner Disney gets almost two-thirds of the ticket sales – the largest cut a studio has ever asked from theatres. If a cinema breaks the terms of the agreement, Disney will take an additional 5pc of the ticket sales.

The move has angered cinema owners, particularly independent firms, who claim the move could cripple their business and so are now refusing to screen Star Wars: The Last Jedi ( pictured).