ONE of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year will not be shown one of Bolton’s only two cinemas, after the theatre chain fell out with the movie’s distributors.

Cineworld in The Valley is among 135 screens across the country that will not be showing Quentin Tarantino’s Hateful Eight when it is released tomorrow, following a disagreement with the film’s UK distributors Entertainment Film.

Bolton cinemagoers who pay £16.90 a month under Cineworld’s ‘Unlimited’ package took to social media to express their disappointment with the news.

Keen Bolton cinemagoers Steven Hobbs, aged 34, said: “Me and a friend go to the cinema most weeks because we're both unlimited card holders.

“We even watch a lot of stuff so we can get our money's worth. It is a good deal for unlimited movies I think, but this is one film we're both really looking forward to seeing and we will have to go to Vue instead.

“That will be about a tenner each that we weren't anticipating we'd be spending.

“It would be nice to at least get free popcorn and drink the next time we go in return for showing proof that we had to go spend money at Vue.”

Fellow Bolton film fan, Paul King, said: "Not a happy costumer. This is out of order. I want all my money back."

Staff at Cineworld and its subsidiary theatres Picturehouse and Curzon found out as late as Tuesday that the movie wasn't being shown on their screens, despite it having previously appeared on websites and promotional material.

The falling out stems from the movie’s release in London, where Tarantino’s use of 70mm Ultra Panavision film — which has not been used since the 1966 Laurence Olivier-led film Khartoum — meant it was released exclusively in the West End with rival chain Odeon.

In a statement, the film’s UK distributor said: "Due to the special facilities required for the unique 70mm Ultra Panavision presentation we needed the largest theatre and screen possible in the West End and the Odeon Leicester Square was the natural choice.

"The technical elements and costs involved with this special presentation meant that this would need to be the exclusive West End venue."

The statement added: "Cineworld had every opportunity to book the film in their other cinemas across the country on the same basis as other exhibitors and declined to do so."

The Hateful Eight — Tarantino’s eighth movie — is a western set in the years following the American civil war starring Kurt Russell, as well as the director’s long-term collaborators Tim Roth and Samuel L Jackson. It has already received rave-reviews and been nominated for three Golden Globe awards.

Some on social media felt that Cineworld bosses were being petty over the Leicester Square decision.

Gary Dickson on Facebook said: "Basically Cineworld have thrown their toys out of the pram because the film was shown first at an Odeon in London."

A Cineworld spokesman said: “We can confirm that The Hateful Eight will not be shown at our cinemas. Unfortunately we were not able to reach an agreement with the movie’s distributor.

“We make every effort to show a wide variety of movies and we’re very excited about other releases in January including Joy and The Danish Girl.”

The Cineworld spokesman declined to answer whether Cineworld Unlimited customers would be offered compensation.