Comcast and NBCUniversal has decided to release some current-run movies via streaming in response to the shuttering of theaters during the COVID-19 outbreak.
On Friday, March 20, they’ll be releasing The Hunt, The Invisible Man and Emma for the public to stream at home. The rental period lasts 48 hours and costs $19.99. The films will be available on “a wide variety of the most popular on-demand services,” says a release.
The Hunt is a Blumhouse black comedy/horror starring Betty Gilpin, Ike Barinholtz, Emma Roberts and Hilary Swank. The Invisible Man, starring Elizabeth Moss, is a supernatural stalker tale. And Emma is director Autumn de Wilde’s delectable take on this Jane Austen tale. (Read our review here.)
The company will also begin making more of its films available at home on the same day as the theatrical release, starting with DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls World Tour on April 10.
“Universal Pictures has a broad and diverse range of movies with 2020 being no exception. 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 CEO Jeff Shell in a release. “We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible.”
This article appears in Best Of Cincinnati 2020 (12098053).