When I first learned that Elkader Cinema wouldn't be showing "Last Jedi," I assumed that there was some crazy culture war reason behind their decision. But I couldn't be further from the truth. Turns out that the northeast Iowa theater has decided against showing the blockbuster for purely economic reasons:
"The biggest reason that I'm not going to show it is the four-week minimum play time," owner Lee Akin told the Des Moines Register. "My little town cannot afford to play any movie for that long of a time." Elkader's population is about 1,200. Akin's theater in town is a single-screen auditorium that shows films at 7 p.m. on weeknights and in the afternoon on weekends. Ticket prices range from $4 to $9.25.In addition to requiring theaters to screen "Last Jedi" for at least four weeks, Walt Disney Co. is also demanding 65% of the ticket revenue from theaters.