AMC Theaters, which runs 661 theaters around the country, immediately signaled its displeasure at the price cut. “From what we can tell, by definition and absent some other form of other compensation, MoviePass will be losing money on every subscriber seeing two movies or more in a month,” the company said in a release at the time. “That price level is unsustainable and only sets up consumers for ultimate disappointment down the road if or when the product can no longer be fulfilled.”

AMC’s initial panic seemed to be over MoviePass lowering the price point for theatergoers; if the service went away, would viewers be able to stomach paying full price for tickets again? But it appears the only thing more frightening to AMC than MoviePass’s failure is its success, as the company now has the ability to bargain with real strength. By removing AMC from its app, MoviePass can direct viewers to other chains and independent theaters, which could make for a tangible difference in sales.

Essentially, this is a show of force, and the next step is seeing if MoviePass’s change can actually hurt AMC. “As we’ve grown our subscriber base, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in movie-theater attendance among our subscribers, which proves to us that MoviePass is working to revitalize a declining industry,” Farnsworth said in a statement. “Other theater companies have seen this attendance resurgence and have approached MoviePass to collaborate. Since the get-go, AMC has not been interested in collaborating with MoviePass—a move that is not in the interest of our subscribers and AMC theater-goers.”

MoviePass is claiming that its subscribers represent 62 percent of AMC’s operating income. The demand for “partnership,” or a $3 cut of ticket sales, is partially rooted in the assumption that MoviePass users then spend even more money at the concession stand, given that their ticket was “free.” Popcorn, drink, and candy sales are the bedrock of any theater chains’ profits, and MoviePass is saying that its members contribute to those numbers. Anecdotally, I’ve found that to be true—I’ve been a MoviePass subscriber for six months now, and the high cost of popcorn is easier for me to stomach if it’s my first purchase at the theater.

MoviePass’s bold display against AMC is an example of how its growing monopoly of subscribers can be used to “disrupt” the industry. It’s just a question of how effective that disruption is. AMC responded with a public shrug, saying in a statement, “We have no further comment about MoviePass’s unilateral actions. We are, however, disappointed that MoviePass continues to make false statements about AMC, including today when MoviePass greatly exaggerated its contributions to AMC’s profitability.” (Further examination of MoviePass’s claims shows that its subscribers account for about 4 percent of AMC’s revenue.)