Netflix's *The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth*, Quentin Tarantino's followup to *Once Upon a Time in Hollywood* starring Brad Pitt, will get a two-week IMAX theatrical window starting November 25 before moving to streaming in late December.

But the film will not play at Cinemark or Regal, the second- and third-largest U.S. exhibitors, meaning AMC Theatres becomes the only major chain screening it, alongside some independent theaters.

Per Deadline, Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble said on the company's earnings call that the release model is 'not constructive for the broader theatrical ecosystem.'

Gamble told analysts Cinemark books films case by case but views decisions 'through a long-term lens,' arguing that honoring the shortened window could set precedents that damage longer-term industry dynamics, according to Deadline.

Regal made a similar case in a statement obtained by Deadline: SVP of U.S. Content Brooks LeBoeuf said the chain's premium screens are among its most valuable assets and that shortened windows 'limit the opportunity for audiences to experience films on the big screen.'

Both chains say they will instead give full IMAX support to *The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping*, which opens the week before with what Gamble described as pre-sales 'through the roof.'

The standoff is striking because Netflix has recently become more theatrical-friendly, per Deadline: it has announced six films through November 2027 with full theatrical releases, marketing campaigns, and reported box office results, including a 50-day window for Greta Gerwig's *Narnia: The Magician's Nephew*.

Gamble called those 'constructive steps' and said it is too early to draw conclusions. comingsoon.net, via Yahoo, notes this is Netflix's first theatrical IMAX release, making the exhibitor pushback a notable rebuff of that new strategy.

The dispute frames how differently streamers approach cinemas. Gamble said Amazon, after acquiring MGM, is ramping toward roughly 15 theatrical releases a year, while Apple has shown promise with *F1* and may expand, though without firm commitments yet, per Deadline.

For now, AMC benefits as the sole major chain carrying *Cliff Booth*, and the film hits Netflix in late December after its November 25 IMAX debut. Gamble also flagged 'a lot of change happening' at Netflix, leaving exhibitors watching how the streamer's next slate actually executes.