For Universal, it’s the chance to offer a film, one that might not have been a theatrical juggernaut, to a captive audience stuck indoors.Īfter all, there’s a reason why “Trolls World Tour” is serving as the guinea pig for this particular experiment, while Universal remains committed to keeping sequels to other properties, such as “Fast & Furious” and “Despicable Me,” on the big screen. It’s possible that “Trolls World Tour” could be the impetus for a new theatrical model, but industry experts suggest the decision is more likely a unique response to the rare circumstances.
“This is something studios have wanted to try for a long time, it’s understandable they did it,” said Peter Csathy, chairman of Creatv Media, a media and entertainment advisory company.
“Trolls World Tour” will screen this weekend in about 20 drive-ins across the country. That comes with an asterisk, of course, since virtually all movie theaters are closed. Instead, Universal offered the film on home entertainment the same day as its global theatrical release. It would have been too costly to ramp up promotional efforts again when cinemas reopen. Universal opted not to delay “Trolls World Tour” any longer because the studio was already deep into its marketing campaign for the film. Since movie theaters started to turn off their lights in the middle of March, major studios have been forced to retool their release calendars, postponing many films indefinitely and tentatively finding new dates for others. In the past, exhibitors have vocally opposed films playing exclusively in theaters for less than 90 days. Theater owners have raised eyebrows, and in some cases publicly scolded, studios for liberally amending longstanding policies. Since Universal’s announcement, Paramount sold romantic comedy “The Lovebirds” to Netflix, Disney sent “Artemis Fowl” straight to its streaming service Disney Plus, and STX siphoned off action adventure “My Spy” with Dave Bautista to Amazon Studios. “The ‘Trolls World Tour’ release boils down to extraordinary measures under extraordinary circumstances,” said Jeff Bock, a media analyst with Exhibitor Relations.īut it’s not the only sign that Hollywood is throwing out the conventional playbook as it struggles to find new revenue streams while multiplexes remain shuttered. The unprecedented move, going against perennial protocol in exhibition, has many in the entertainment industry wondering: is the bold bet a sign of the times, or a paradigm shift in Hollywood that will shatter theatrical windows? When Universal’s “ Trolls World Tour” lands on home entertainment platforms on Friday, it’ll mark the first major studio movie to skip its planned traditional theatrical release since the coronavirus outbreak forced cinemas to close.
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