Universal will be releasing two films on video on demand this weekend as theaters across the country prepare to shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak…
With movie theaters around the United States shutting down to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, at least one major movie studio is bringing high profile releases to video on demand viewers who are stuck at home under quarantine.
Universal will release “The Invisible Man” and the new film “The Hunt” onto video on demand services starting this Friday, March 20.
The cost of the films will be $19.99 each for a 48-hour purchase for each movie.
It’s an unprecedented move as Universe abandons the typical window for a theater release in favor of bringing these films to on demand viewers while the coronavirus outbreak has virtually shut down every major movie theater chain in the United States. AMC announced on Monday that they would be closing all of their theaters in the U.S. indefinitely after President Donald Trump announced new precautions to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people in hopes of slowing down the spread of the deadly disease.
Theater grosses took a major hit this past weekend as people began avoiding mass gatherings due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
“The Invisible Man” has already been in theaters for a couple of weeks but “The Hunt” opened to just $5.3 million at the box office this past weekend. “The Hunt,” which already had its original release date pushed back due to a mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, finally arrived in theaters in mid-March but now the movie will shift to on demand viewing instead.
Both films will arrive on Friday and with theaters shut down for the foreseeable future, it’s entirely possible more studios make a similar move to hopefully stop the bleeding from the lack of funds being made from theatrical releases.
