Coronavirus: Universal makes new releases accessible at home

The Dreamworks film 'Trolls World Tour' will be the first to be released online on the same day as its theater release, on April 10.

By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDS
Two children and a woman enter a Cineplex Cinema as the number of novel coronavirus cases continued to grow in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 16, 2020. (photo credit: REUTERS/CARLOS OSORIO)
Two children and a woman enter a Cineplex Cinema as the number of novel coronavirus cases continued to grow in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 16, 2020.
(photo credit: REUTERS/CARLOS OSORIO)
Universal Pictures is to make some of its movie releases available at home on the same day as they hit theaters this summer, in an attempt to soften the negative impact of coronavirus on theater revenues.
Titles such as The Hunt, The Invisible Man and Emma will be available to rent on demand at a price of $19.99 for a 48 hour period, via platforms including Comcast, Sky, Apple, and Amazon from this Friday.
The DreamWorks animated film Trolls World Tour will be the first to be released online on the same day it hits cinemas in North America: April 10.
The studio, a division of Comcast Corp-owned NBCUniversal, has made the change in response to falling revenues due to the coronavirus outbreak. Some theaters have been limiting ticket sales to showings in order to leave more space between viewers, while in New York and Los Angeles, theaters were ordered on Sunday to shut completely.
Last weekend represented the lowest rate of box office sales in over two decades as the measures kept audiences away.
"Given the rapidly evolving and unprecedented changes to consumers' daily lives during this difficult time, the company felt that now was the right time to provide this option in the home as well as in theaters," the studio said in a statement on Monday, according to CNN. "NBCUniversal will continue to evaluate the environment as conditions evolve and will determine the best distribution strategy in each market when the current unique situation changes."
Major blockbusters, such as the next in the Fast & Furious franchise, F9, will not be included in the plan. The studio had already announced the delay of that film's release until next year.
However, it could therefore boost mid-budget movies which would normally be squeezed by the bigger releases.
The move could potentially have longer-term consequences for the market. Theaters have already been grappling over the amount of time a film is given exclusive release into theaters as a way to incentivize people going out to view them; currently that window is typically set at 90 days.
"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 in a statement, according to Reuters.