Deadpool & Wolverine not screening at Cathay Cineplexes due to ‘business decision’
Moviegoers will not be able to watch the biggest superhero movie of 2024 at Cathay Cineplexes.
Deadpool & Wolverine may have opened in Singapore on July 25, but it is not screening at any of Cathay Cineplexes’ theatres, a spokeswoman of the local cinema chain confirmed to The Straits Times on July 26.
Cathay Cineplexes, which is owned by local entertainment and content production company mm2 Asia, has five outlets in Singapore – at Causeway Point, Downtown East, West Mall, Jem and Century Square.
The M18-rated Marvel sequel stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular characters.
Fans voiced their disappointment after a screenshot of Cathay Cineplexes’ response to a netizen’s query about the film’s availability at Cathay cinemas was shared on social media platform Reddit on July 25.
It said: “We regret to inform you that Deadpool & Wolverine will not be screened at any Cathay Cineplexes.”
Some users questioned if Cathay Cineplexes is facing operation issues, is “winding down soon” or if it is because of distribution rights. Other netizens commented that Cathay cinemas were their preferred choice because of location, seating, sound system and popcorn quality.
Distributed by The Walt Disney Co, Deadpool & Wolverine is showing at all other cinemas such as Golden Village, Shaw Theatres, The Projector, EagleWings Cinematics, WE Cinemas and Filmgarde.
According to the Cathay Cineplexes spokeswoman, it was “a business decision” that led to the no-show, but declined to comment further.
The Walt Disney Co’s previous blockbusters of 2024, Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes and Inside Out 2, which were released in Singapore on May 9 and June 13 respectively, were not screened at Cathay Cineplexes too, but opened in other cinemas.
The Cathay Cineplexes spokeswoman declined to comment if the decision to not screen Disney’s films pertains only to 2024 or beyond, but added “Disney has been a good partner and will always be a good partner to Cathay”.
Inside Out 2 has generated more than US$1.46 billion (S$2 billion) at the global box office, surpassing Frozen II (2019) to be the highest-grossing animated film in history.
The Singapore office of The Walt Disney Co declined to comment on why its 2024 slate of films were not screened at Cathay Cineplexes.
ST understands that while most blockbusters from the major Hollywood studios will be shown at local cinemas, the final decision of which movie eventually makes it to the big screen depends on whether the distributor and exhibitor agree on the returns both parties will get at the end of a film’s run.
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