NATO
(National
Association
of
Theatre
Owners)
has
dismissed
the
rumours
about
creating
threat
for
the
screening
of
Harry
Potter
and
the
Death
Hallows:
Part
II
by
major
studios
like
Universal,
Sony,
Warner
Bros
and
Fox.
NATO
President
John
Fithian
has
said
that
the
organization
does
not
have
the
capability
to
encourage
its
members
to
boycott
films
in
Video-on-Demand
dispute.
Rumours
started
making
rounds
after
The
Guardian
published
an
article
on
April
13
about
the
cinema
operators
boycotting
the
screening
of
Harry
Potter
and
the
Death
Hallows:
Part
II.
But
later
it
was
edited
after
NATO
requested
the
news
daily
to
set
its
details
right
in
the
report.
Now,
President
of
NATO
has
released
a
statement
to
shut
down
the
rumours.
The
statement
read,
"The
National
Association
of
Theatre
Owners
does
not
and
could
not
encourage
its
members
to
engage
in
any
boycotts
of
any
movies
distributed
by
any
company.
Recent
press
reports
to
the
contrary
are
completely
false."
The
statement
added,
"NATO
has
often
articulated
our
concerns
about
the
possible
release
of
'premium
VOD'
movies
in
an
early
window.
Our
association
issued
statements
on
June
16,
2010
and
again
on
March
31,
2011
regarding
those
concerns.
But
as
our
2010
statement
made
clear,
'individual
theater
companies
must
and
will
make
decisions
about
release
window
changes
in
their
own
company's
interest.'
NATO
cannot
and
will
not
make
those
decisions
for
them."