• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & Entertainment

Disney Ends Blackout of L.A. Times Critics After Public Backlash

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 7, 2017, 4:19 PM ET

That didn’t take long. Walt Disney reversed course on its decision to bar Los Angeles Times film critics from advance movie screenings following a flood of public criticism this week by media outlets and film critics’ associations.

“We’ve had productive discussions with the newly installed leadership at The Los Angeles Times regarding our specific concerns, and as a result, we’ve agreed to restore access to advance screenings for their film critics,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement.

The move from Disney comes after a long list of film critics and news publications—including The New York Times, and the A.V. Club website—publicly announced that their reporters would boycott advance screenings of Disney-produced films in a move of solidarity so long as Disney’s ban on Los Angeles Times critics continued.

Last week, The Los Angeles Times acknowledged the Disney blackout in a note to the newspaper’s readers, writing that the paper’s annual preview of holiday season movies would exclude Disney films due to the media giant’s move to cut off access to screenings for The Times’ critics. Disney said in a statement last week that its feud with The Times stemmed from a disagreement over the newspaper’s recent reporting on the various incentives and tax breaks the company receives in Anaheim, Calif., the home of the Disneyland Resort. Disney previously claimed that The Times‘ reporting on that matter “showed a complete disregard for basic journalistic standards.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

On Tuesday morning, four of the country’s biggest film critics’ groups issued a joint statement denouncing Disney’s decision to bar Los Angeles Times critics from movie screenings, and those critics’ groups also said they would disqualify all Disney films from any year-end awards. By Tuesday afternoon a growing chorus of critics in the media and Hollywood were denouncing Disney’s actions with regard to The Times, including artists such as Oscar-nominated director Ava DuVernay, who helmed Disney’s film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time that will hit theaters in March 2018. (The much-anticipated film made DuVernay the first black woman to direct a movie with a $100 million budget.)

Disney’s decision to backtrack on its feud with The Los Angeles Times also comes at a time when the huge company’s movie studio unit is gearing up for a big finish to 2017 with the impending release of Pixar’s animated film Coco (Nov. 22) and the highly-anticipated Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Dec. 15).

CORRECTION: The original version of this article mistakenly identified The Washington Post as one of the news organizations that joined the boycott of Disney movie screenings in solidarity with The Los Angeles Times. In fact, only one opinion writer at The Washington Post, Alyssa Rosenberg, joined that boycott, and not the organization as a whole.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

tiger
LawDrugs
Tiger Woods says he’ll seek treatment for substance abuse after another DUI arrest
By Mike Schneider and The Associated PressApril 1, 2026
8 hours ago
Bobby Witt Jr. throws a baseball. He is standing in front of a FanDuel sign on a baseball field.
Bankinggambling
Credit card delinquencies among millennials and Gen Z have soared because of sports betting—even in states where it’s illegal, new Fed study finds
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
tiger
LawTiger Woods
Tiger Woods had pills in his pocket, bloodshot and glassy eyes, sheriff’s office says
By Mike Schneider and The Associated PressMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
McCormick combines with Unilever’s food division and adds Hellmann’s and Knorr to its brands
Arts & EntertainmentUnilever
McCormick combines with Unilever’s food division and adds Hellmann’s and Knorr to its brands
By The Associated PressMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
Blackstone bets on golfer Tommy Fleetwood to win over the world’s wealthiest investors
InvestingFinance
Blackstone bets on golfer Tommy Fleetwood to win over the world’s wealthiest investors
By Lee CliffordMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
Art thieves nab three paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse in Italy
Europeart
Art thieves nab three paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse in Italy
By The Associated PressMarch 30, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
Personal Finance
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
Economy
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
Mark Carney lays down the gauntlet: 'It is essential that the next CEO of Air Canada is bilingual'
C-Suite
Mark Carney lays down the gauntlet: 'It is essential that the next CEO of Air Canada is bilingual'
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.