A game-changing moment for the theatrical vs streaming debate happened today, albeit under depressing circumstances. With movie theaters closing nationwide and millions of people self-quarantining and social distancing at home, it’s a no-brainer opportunity for studios to transition some of their current and upcoming theatrical titles to VOD.
That’s what Universal did today, announcing that a number of their films currently in theaters including “The Invisible Man,” “Emma” and “The Hunt” will be available to rent online beginning this Friday, March 20. They will be priced at $19,99 per rental.
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell stated, “Universal Pictures has a broad and diverse range of movies with 2020 being no exception. Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an option for people to view these titles in the home that is both accessible and affordable,” said Shell. “We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible.”
After the shellacking Hollywood got at the box-office this past weekend, a 22-year-low in overall grosses, I can only imagine a domino effect occurring after Universal’s decision today. Sony Pictures, Paramount, Warner Bros. or Walt Disney Studios could very well be next. The industry bigwigs can’t just sit back and wait for the virus to fizzle out, there is too much money at stake here.
Netflix has released amother teaser for David Fincher’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” sequel. No trailer yet, but it finally has a title: “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth.”