Could Amazon buy AMC Entertainment? A rumor is going around that may be the case which caused AMC’s shares to spike on Monday. The shares were up over 34% based as of this post on the rumor driven by The Daily Mail, so take it with a grain of salt.

Of course neither company has a comment.

The rumors have met heavy doubts but would be an intriguing move.

Amazon is investing in its own original series with Amazon Studios releasing films and television shows. It would create an integration harkening back to movie studio ownership which ended due to the 1948 court case United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. which affirmed the ownership of theaters by studios violated antitrust law.

There has been talk of allowing such ownership to resume.

What it also provides is a possible avenue for Amazon to further integrate selling related merchandise for releases creating pop up shops.

For now, chalk this one up to a rumor, but an intriguing one.

(via Deadline)