Amazon is flexing its muscles again, this time playing around with preorders for Warner Bros. Home Video releases. That means that Amazon customers aren’t able to place orders for movies like The LEGO Movie and Johnny Depp’s Transcendence at the moment.
The LEGO Movie page no longer has the option to preorder the June 17 release and asks customers to sign up for notification when it’s available. The same goes for Transcendence.
The New York Times noticed the disappearance of the preorder button, noting that it is likely another attempt by Amazon to gain an edge in another dispute with a media giant.
As online preorders are also a big part of a movie’s sales during release week, this could take a chunk out of Warner Bros.’ profits. LEGO was a huge hit at the box office, but Amazon isn’t promoting it as a major Kids & Family release. The 300: Rise of an Empire Blu-ray is also low down the movie sales charts, since it can’t be preodered either.
Of course, this isn’t the only fight Amazon is in the middle of. It is also trying to get more profits out of the Hachette publishing group, a battle that has gone so public that Stephen Colbert called for an Amazon boycott. Just like the Warner Bros. movies, some Hachette books are unavailable for preorders.
Warner Bros. did not offer any details on a fight with Amazon. The largest internet retailer in the country also didn’t comment.
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