We had been wondering how studios would respond to movie theaters being shut down to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, with many speculating that this would force the major players to test out straight-to-VOD options for new releases. Universal is the first to take the plunge, Deadline reports, with plans to release two big new horror movies to VOD this week.
Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man and Craig Zobel’s The Hunt, both Blumhouse productions, will both be released onto VOD outlets this Friday, March 20th.
The Invisible Man already had a profitable box office run beginning in February, making over $120 million worldwide, but The Hunt‘s release this past weekend unfortunately came at a time when many had already made the decision to stay out of their local theaters. It was doomed at the box office, but the VOD option will allow Universal to bounce back a bit.
Best of all, the bold move will allow us to watch the movies safely within our own homes.
The films will be available for “on-demand 48-hour rental at the suggested price of $19.99.” Deadline adds, “This is both for domestic and offshore markets where the titles are in release.”
“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 NBCUniversal CEO Jeff 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.”
No word yet on how many movies will eventually go this route. Stay tuned.
