Anna Daniels
Birds of Prey and The Gentlemen are joining the flock of movies getting released on video-on-demand early. On the heels of Universal making the game-changing move of announcing the same-day theatrical and digital release of Trolls World Tour, Warner Bros.’ Birds of Prey and STXfilms’ The Gentlemen will be made available for purchase on digital platforms next week, months earlier than the films were anticipated to be released on VOD.
Variety reports that Birds of Prey will be available for digital purchase on March 24, months earlier than its anticipated video-on-demand release. The film is expected to cost $19.99 to buy on platforms such as Amazon and iTunes. It will be available for rental in April. While STXfilms has not yet confirmed the early VOD release of The Gentlemen, Fandango reports that the Guy Ritchie-directed crime caper will also be available for digital purchase on March 24.
Films are usually available to buy digitally about 74 days after they first arrive in theaters, at the earliest, followed by digital rental and home video releases two weeks later. But Birds of Prey will be available only 46 days after its initial theatrical release (it opened February 7) while The Gentlemen will be available 60 days after it hit theaters (January 24).
With Birds of Prey and The Gentlemen still playing in some theaters, the move might have come as a surprise, but the coronavirus pandemic has theaters and exhibitors hard, closing multiplexes in multiple states, including New York, Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended last Sunday that public gatherings with more than 50 people be canceled for the next eight weeks, which has dramatically affected box office sales.
Universal was the first studio to make the drastic move that many were predicting would happen, after most major theatrical releases were delayed due to coronavirus concerns. The studio announced Monday that Trolls World Tour would be available to purchase digitally the same day it was expected to hit theaters, with the studio’s other titles still playing in theaters — The Invisible Man, Emma., The Hunt — also available to purchase early on demand. In response to this news, Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan remarked on Twitter, “I would not be opposed to putting Birds of Prey on VOD earlier.” Looks like she got her wish.
I would not be opposed to putting Birds of Prey on VOD earlier. https://t.co/TrKynikHLx
— Cathy Yan (@CathyYan) March 16, 2020
Birds of Prey got unfairly overlooked when it hit theaters, raking in $177 million worldwide to date — by no means a bad number, but disappointing compared to Warner Bros.’ past DC movie releases. Now that it will be available on VOD and we’re all stuck inside, here’s your chance to bless yourself with this disarmingly fun movie. Make yourself an egg sandwich while you’re at it.
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