Disney hit with complaint by South Korea: ‘Frozen 2’ violated anti-monopoly laws

in Disney, Entertainment, Movies

frozen 2

Credit: Disney

It didn’t take long before Frozen 2 started to break records — earning over $127 million on opening day alone and topping the box office on Black Friday and over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Frozen 2 also earned $358.2 million within its first three days of opening, which makes it the biggest opening weekend for any animated film in history!

Not only did the highly anticipated sequel dominate in the United States, but in every market it opened in around the world. The only problem is there is one country in particular currently playing Frozen 2 which has some people upset.

Frozen 2
Credit: Disney

The Public Welfare Committee, which is a non-government organization in South Korea, recently filed a complaint with local prosecutors against the Walt Disney Company, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This complaint is claiming that Frozen 2 has violated South Korea’s antitrust act because of the number of movie screens Frozen 2 is currently being shown on.

Over the weekend, Frozen 2 was occupying 88% of the movie theaters across South Korea, which the organization is claiming “violates the country’s anti-monopoly law.”

Frozen 2 has brought in $61.2 million in Korea since it opened on November 23rd, making it the third biggest market worldwide for the film, right behind North America and China.

Frozen 2 Poster
Credit: Disney

The Public Welfare Committee is arguing that since Frozen 2 is taking up 88% of the movie screens in South Korea, it is persuading people to go see this film and is also eliminating their choice of what they would like to see. Basically, if a moviegoer were to visit South Korea right now, the odds are you would only be able to go see Frozen 2.

The South Korea Organization also claims that the Frozen 2 release violates South Korea’s anti-monopoly law. It falls “under a clause that defines any individual or company with more than half of the market share as a ‘market-dominant enterprise’.”

frozen 2 anna olaf
Credit: Disney

The complaint also states that Disney has “attempted to monopolize screens and seek great profit in the short term, restricting the consumer’s right to choose.”

Frozen 2 is currently estimated to pass the first Frozen feature from 2014, which was a huge success. Frozen earned $76.6 million, making it the most ever earned for an animated film in South Korea.

What do you think of the South Korea complaint filed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

in Disney, Entertainment, Movies

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