As the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic results in movie theaters closing their doors around the world, Universal Pictures has decided to make its current theatrical releases available on Home Video earlier than planned.
The studio has revealed that The Invisible Man, Emma, and The Hunt are coming to VOD on Friday, March 20, and will cost $19.99 to rent. Meanwhile, Trolls World Tour will be available to watch On-Demand from April 10.
"Universal Pictures has a broad and diverse range of movies with 2020 being no exception," NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said in a statement. "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. 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."
Can we expect other studios to follow suit? It's definitely a possibility - especially if these movies perform well on Digital platforms. Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan has already said she wouldn't be opposed to releasing the movie early, so keep an eye out for updates.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.