So, you’ve just had a $55M opening weekend, a franchise record, and folks seem to really like your film. Expectations have been exceeded on all fronts. So, why in the living hell would you rush your film to PVOD?
Paramount isn’t wasting any time on “A Quiet Place: Day One,” which is set to be available digitally on July 30, just 32 days after its initial theatrical release. I’m as stunned as you are, but this has actually become the norm. The other problem is that it’ll be pirated to death on all of the torrents sites.
This is very much one of the main reasons why theatrical has not been doing well. It’s just not mentioned enough by the trades, and filmmakers. A serious conversation should be had about this very topic, it’s time to tackle it head on. If a moviegoer knows that a film they want to see will be available to stream in just a few weeks, chances are that they won’t be going to see it in a movie theater.
Studios should maybe try not to announce PVOD dates so soon after opening weekend. It’s disrespectful not just to the filmmakers, but also to the theatrical exhibitors who are desperately trying to get audiences to embrace moviegoing again. Oddly enough, a notable exception to the rule is “Inside Out 2,” which was given an exclusive 100-day theatrical bow. It won’t be available online until late September.