Two major theater chains, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark, said Tuesday that they would not screen next year's sequel to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," the first major motion picture that will make its debut simultaneously on Netflix and on Imax screens.

"While a home video release may be simultaneously performing in certain Imax locations, at Regal we will not participate in an experiment where you can see the same product on screens varying from three stories tall to 3 inches wide on a smartphone," Russ Nunley, Regal's vice president for marketing and communications, said in a statement.

The film, a follow-up to Ang Lee's Academy Award-winning martial arts drama, will be available at no additional fee to Netflix subscribers. At the same time, moviegoers will be able buy a ticket to see "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend" at Imax theaters across the globe.

The move is part of an effort at Netflix to break the so-called windowing system for releasing movies, with films made available first in theaters.

Netflix, Imax and the Weinstein Co., which is producing "Crouching Tiger," said that movie fans were asking for new ways to watch films. "Withholding access only invites piracy," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix.

NEW YORK TIMES