'Hangover' Director Todd Phillips Sides with Theater Owners Against Studios' VOD Plan

3:44 PM PDT 3/31/2011 by Pamela McClintock

Todd Phillips Cinemacon 2011
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 31:  Director Todd Phillips arrives at a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation to promote his new film, 'The Hangover Part II ' at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, March 31, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"If I had wanted to make movies for television, I would have been a TV director," Phillips told CinemaCon attendees.

LAS VEGAS -- Coming to CinemaCon to promote The Hangover 2, Todd Phillips told theater owners he too is opposed to a premium VOD service that would shrink the theatrical window to two months.

Phillips' comments came during Warner Bros.' presentation to exhibitors.

STORY: Theater Owners Fuming Over Studios' VOD Plan

"I'm on your side on the video-on-demand issue. And I think a lot of filmmakers are," Phillips said, prompting loud applause and hoots.

"If I had wanted to make movies for television, I would have been a TV director," the helmer continued.

It was a day of high drama at CinemaCon -- the annual convention of theater owners -- as exhibitors found out that Warner Bros., Fox, Universal and Sony plan to launch a premium VOD service in late April on DirecTV, followed by Comcast and VUDU.

STORY: DirecTV to Launch Premium VOD in April

Exhibitors are furious over the plan, which they say threatens their businesses.

Top Warners executives Jeff Robinov, Dan Fellman and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek made no mention of the controversy in their opening remarks. They did, however, repeatedly thank exhibitors for their support.