CGV, Lotte refuse to show new ‘Hobbit’ film in fee dispute

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Ian McKellen in a scene from "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures)

The latest installment of “The Hobbit” topped the charts Wednesday, even though Korean audiences cannot watch the film at theaters in Seoul run by CGV and Lotte Cinema.

CGV posted an apology on their official website on the problems with screening the film: “The distributor of the film Warner Bros demanded a raise in the profit-sharing ratio in theaters in Seoul and we have refused.”

Lotte Cinema also refused, meaning the film was not shown at its theaters in the capital area.

With CGV and Lotte theaters out of the running, local fans of the Hobbit series are able to watch the film at Megabox cinemas in Seoul.

According to data from the Korean Film Council, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” accounted for 28.5 percent of ticket sales as of Wednesday, with “Way Back Home” in second.

By Yoon Ha-youn, Intern reporter
(yhayoun@heraldcorp.com)