The DreamWorks-made animated film is the most high-profile of a series of titles that Universal Pictures intended for cinema release but instead went straight to streaming.
Universal Pictures responded to AMC saying that it would look beyond cinema premieres for titles only “when it makes sense”.
The company controls the Hollywood studio and is in turn owned by Sky’s parent company Comcast.
The bitter row follows comments made by NBCUniversal, trumpeting the success of the Trolls World Tour film.