Things are pretty crazy at the moment thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, and movie studios have been forced to take some unexpected measures when it comes to how they handle their releases. Thus far, Trolls World Tour is the only theatrical release to switch to a Digital one, but several other films are coming early after their run in theaters was cut short.
Over the coming weeks, we were expecting to see everything from Mulan to A Quiet Place: Part 2 and Black Widow in theaters, and while their respective futures are unclear right now, we have a timetable of big movies coming our way throughout March and early April.
Here, we're compiled a breakdown of every single film which is set to be released on Digital over the coming weeks so you know exactly what's happening...and when!
While rumours continue to swirl that a big movie like Wonder Woman 1984 will skip theaters, everything is very much up in the air right now, and Hollywood is clearly going to have to undergo some major changes. In this feature, though, we share what we do know is coming our way...
The Movies Already Available
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrived a few days sooner than expected last weekend, while Frozen 2 has also hit Disney+ three months early. This past Friday, though, we saw a sudden influx of recent releases hitting Digital platforms, with Universal choosing to share The Invisible Man and The Hunt.
British comedy-drama Emma is also available now, while Disney dropped a bombshell by announcing that Onward would receive a surprise release on Friday night ahead of a Disney+ debut in April. That was definitely surprise for a movie that had been at the box office for the past two weeks, but with no theaters to play in, the studio didn't really have any other choice!
This coming Tuesday, though, we're going to have even more to watch over the coming weeks...
Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey (March 24th)
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey underperformed at the box office despite positive reviews, so it's no great surprise that the movie is now coming to Digital months earlier than planned.
Director Cathy Yan campaigned for this to happen, and the DC Comics adaptation now has the opportunity to find the audience who overlooked it the first time around. That can only be good news for the film, and Warner Bros. will surely keep a close eye on how this performs if they are indeed mulling over a non-theatrical release for Wonder Woman 1984 in June.
Bloodshot (March 24th)
Bloodshot only arrived last weekend, but negative reviews and fears over COVID-19 meant it seriously underperformed. Now, with theaters closed, Sony has been forced to ignore the typical theater to Digital window to ensure that people actually check the comic book adaptation out.
2020 isn't looking like a massive year for Sony Pictures, but both Morbius and Venom 2 are going to be big for them, so perhaps if Bloodshot rakes in the cash, they'll consider having the latest SUMC adventures debut outside of theaters (should they still be closed by July/October).
The Gentlemen (March 24th)
Guy Ritchie's gangster movie was a real return to form for the filmmaker, and The Gentlemen's debut on Digital platforms offers some much-needed variety in what looks to be a busy week.
With a phenomenal cast made up of names like Hugh Grant, Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunman, and Colin Farrell, this one is well worth watching, and taking advantage of theaters being closed to bring more eyes to this one was a smart move on the part of STX Entertainment.
Dolittle (March 24th)
Robert Downey Jr.'s first post-Avengers: Endgame/MCU role was met with scathing reviews, and the stories about problems behind the scenes proved to be considerably better than this star-studded reimagining of the classic tale.
Still, kids seem to love it, and there are those who have argued it's quite good fun despite a very strange final act. With schools across the globe being closed, Dolittle could be a must-buy for parents looking to entertain their kids with something a little silly to distract them this coming week.
The Way Back (March 24th)
Viewed as Ben Affleck's "comeback" feature after his time as Batman and some well documented personal problems, The Way Back was met with positive reviews, but sadly didn't really get much time in theaters before their doors started closing.
Following an alcoholic construction worker who is recruited to become head coach of the basketball team at the high school he used to attend, it's an inspirational, hard-hitting tale from director Gavin O'Connor which seemingly showcases Affleck at his best. It's not exactly The Batman, but it will most certainly do!
Sonic The Hedgehog (March 31st)
Sonic the Hedgehog might just prove that the days of every video game movie being, well, terrible, are finally at an end. A fun family flick with a standout performance from Jim Carrey, that redesign definitely paid off, and fans of the SEGA series found plenty to love here.
We're still waiting on a sequel announcement, but Paramount Pictures will likely be keeping a very close eye on how these Digital sales go, especially as the movie was never able to receive a release in China (that could change down the line, of course, but not for a while yet).
Bad Boys For Life (March 31st)
Another big Sony title coming to Digital this month, Bad Boys For Life would have been arriving on that platform fairly soon anyway, but it's definitely not a bad thing that we're seeing it now.
Will Smith's return to the popular franchise received better reviews than anyone expected, and the threequel was such a commercial success that a fourth instalment is already in the works.
Trolls World Tour (April 10th)
Would Universal Pictures have made the decision to steal No Time to Die's release date and release this animated sequel on Digital platforms the same day it arrived in theaters had they known it would never receive a theatrical run? Honestly, it's hard to say, but kids are bound to want to check this one out next month.
Right now, Trolls World Tour is the only major film coming our way in the entire month of April. That's an undeniably depressing prospect, but here's hoping it's good fun if nothing else. It certainly boasts an impressive cast, so it could end up surprising all of us...
What Comes Next?
This is the big question right now. At the moment, movie studios are intent on releasing films like Black Widow and Wonder Woman 1984 in theaters, and it's not hard to see why. After all, films like that boast hefty budgets, and those are unlikely to be recouped through Digital releases.
Well, that's the prevailing theory, anyway! Depending on what happens over the next few weeks, we could see studios have a change in attitude, and the way movies are released might just end up changing forever.
COVID-19 isn't going anywhere fast, and it says a lot that Warner Bros. has even considered not having Wonder Woman 1984 debut on the big screen. It probably won't be until late April we get a better idea of what the plan is, but don't be surprised if some big releases end up coming our way a little sooner than expected...