Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” has been getting good reviews, and has grossed, so far, $14M domestically. Despite all that, Focus has decided to quickly ship this one out digitally, as Nichols’ film will be available July 9 on VOD, only 3 weeks after the film’s theatrical release. The film’s budget is said to have been around $40M.
Audiences have now been trained not to worry about going out to the cinema because most of the big films will be available on VOD in 45-60 days — “The Bikeriders” only waited 25 days before being dumped. It surely doesn’t help that movie tickets have become very expensive, with most theaters charging $20+ for a single fare. You get to save money by streaming it for that same price, and sharing the experience with as many people as you’d like.
It used to be a frequent occurrence for people to go watch a movie in theaters, on a weekly basis, but that’s not the case anymore — they just can’t afford to do that. Plus, why would you bother going when you run the risk of having someone texting on their brightly lit phone or even chatting it up during the screening.
It’s no secret that, despite the success of “Inside Out 2,” the moviegoing business is currently in a desperate predicament. As studios are hysterically looking for answers as to why their films are underperforming, it’s quite obvious that VOD has become a major source of backup income for them. However, this shortening window between theatrical and home watching is a cause for concern. It dilutes the theatrical experience.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.