Regal Settles Lawsuit With Landmark Over DC Theater

On Wednesday, Regal Cinemas — the largest theater chain in the U.S. — and Mark Cuban‘s Landmark Theatres settled an antitrust suit that Landmark brought, alleging that Regal acted unfairly in working with studios to deny Landmark’s Washington, D.C., theater first-run films.

The two exhibitors stipulated to the dismissal of the lawsuit, which Landmark filed in January under the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Landmark’s complaint alleged that Regal’s Gallery Place multiplex got blockbusters like Star Wars:

Regal’s attorney, Thomas Boeder at Perkins Coie, told the Hollywood Reporter that no money changed hands as a result of the settlement, but Regal agreed to abandon clearance agreements — which give certain chains exclusive rights to show movies in a particular market — in the affected geography.

Regal responded to the complaint in an April motion to dismiss, accusing Landmark of seeking “refuge under the antitrust laws” because its Atlantic Plumbing theater had not fared well in competing for film licenses with the larger Gallery Place complex.

Another antitrust suit against Regal remains active in Texas, and two separate antitrust suits have been filed against AMC Theaters in Georgia and Texas.