Last month, Quentin Tarantino took aim at studios’ “show pony exercise” of not giving movies proper theatrical bows and instead releasing their titles on streaming after just a few weeks in theaters.
Warner Bros has decided to do just that by dumping their well-reviewed “Companion” on VOD, just 17 days after its original theatrical release. They didn’t even give this one the customary 30-day bow.
Truth be told, “Companion” hasn’t been lighting the box office on fire, and its $34M worldwide tally might not even be enough for the film to recoup its money — Deadline says it needs $40M to break even. They’re hoping a quick appearance on VOD will do the trick.
Welcome to the new normal, where studios have found a way to make considerable profit out of rushing their new titles to digital. It’s been happening since the pandemic, and if anything, has only gotten worse since then, spreading like wildfire throughout the studio system.