Universal films will stay in theaters longer in the United States
Feature films which will remain in theaters for 7 weekends starting in 2027.
Throughout 2026, films under the Universal label will now remain in North American cinemas for five weeks, reveals the French film.
This decision will take effect from Super Mario Galaxy, the movie which is scheduled for release on April 1st.
“Our distribution strategy has always been designed to evolve with the market, but we firmly believe in the primacy of cinematic exclusivity and working closely with our exhibition partners to support a healthy and sustainable cinema ecosystem” explains the president.
While the battle to buy Warner Bros. Discovery relaunched the debate on the very fragile economy of theaters, worrying even the highest echelons of Hollywood. James Cameron had written a letter addressed to Senator Mike Lee in which he expressed his fears if Netflix were to win the battle. This is therefore very encouraging news for the American film industry that Universal shares today. Adam Aron, CEO of the circuit AMC Entertainmentalso welcomed it on X : “We can’t praise Donna Langley’s leadership of Universal enough. (…) his business acumen and his courage to make important decisions, which have real repercussions on the entire cinema ecosystem.”
I cannot say enough good things about Donna Langley’s leadership of Universal.
First and foremost, she is a superb film maker.
Add to that her grace, business acumen and courage in making important decisions that have real ramifications supporting the entire movie ecosystem.
— Adam Aron (@CEOAdam) March 12, 2026
A major announcement which accompanies another: from next year, Universal productions will remain in theaters for 45 days, or seven weekends, announced at New York Times Donna Langley, president of NBCUniversal Entertainment.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Universal had reduced its operating window to 17 days, i.e. 3 weekends. It is therefore a major change that the studio is making.
News to appease Hollywood aligning with the same strategy as the boss of ParamountDavid Ellison, who wishes to favor the release of films in theaters. Last February, in an open letter addressed to French industry, the latter declared: “Each film will benefit from a real theatrical release, respecting the operating windows provided for by the media chronology in France.”
The boss of Paramount defends his project in an open letter to the French industry
