The coronavirus pandemic has taken a major toll on Hollywood, as social distancing and shelter-in-place orders across the U.S. have led to release date delays, production shutdowns, theater closures, and, as a result, record-low movie ticket sales with no end in sight.
In response to the crisis and theatrical closings, several film studios have been taking proactive measures to ensure their newest movie releases are still seen by as many people as possible. The latest example is Universal/Dreamworks’ Trolls World Tour, which bypassed theaters altogether for an on-demand premiere on Friday, April 10 and became the studio’s biggest debut for a digital release.
Disney+ will also continue its new tradition of adding movies to its library early, with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arriving to streaming two months ahead of schedule on Monday, May 4 and Artemis Fowl debuting on subscription streaming on Friday, June 12. Disney recently revealed that more movies could skip theatrical releases entirely, even after COVID-19 settles. Meanwhile, Netflix will host the world premiere of The Lovebirds, which also skipped a theatrical bow in favor of a straight-to-streaming debut, and HBO Max has nabbed the debut rights for Seth Rogen’s next film An American Pickle.
Here’s a rundown of movies that are hitting on-demand services ahead of schedule, along with links to options for how to watch each title online and where to get DVDs and Blu-Rays, if you prefer to have a physical copy.
(Disclosure: Links to retailers may earn money to support our work.)
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The final installment in the decades-long sci-fi saga arrived on home video platforms several days early, on March 13. It’s available to watch on on-demand services including Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play, FandangoNow, and iTunes, starting at $20 for digital HD. The movie will be available to stream on Disney+ on Monday, May 4.
Digital HD ($20)
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Digital 4K UHD ($25)
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Blu-ray + DVD + Digital ($25)
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4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital ($30)
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Retailer Exclusive Editions
Walmart Exclusive Limited Edition ($35)
Target Limited Edition With Filmmaker Gallery Book ($35)
Best Buy Steelbook Edition ($35)
Disney Multi-Screen Edition With Lithograph Set ($30)
Best Buy Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga 4K UHD Box Set ($250)
An American Pickle
Seth Rogen‘s next comedy film was expected to hit theaters but will instead debut at HBO Max, which secured the rights to debut the film on the new streaming service sometime this year. The film stars Rogen as an immigrant employee at a 1920 pickle factory who gets accidentally preserved for 100 years and wakes up in modern-day Brooklyn. The film is based on the 2013 New Yorker series Sell Out by Simon Rich.
The Lovebirds
Paramount’s The Lovebirds, starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, is heading to Netflix. It was originally supposed to debut in theaters on April 3, but Paramount pulled it due to COVID-19 shutdowns. The film centers on a couple who are nearing the point of breaking up but accidentally find themselves mixed up in a murder. The Lovebirds will be available to stream on Netflix on Friday, May 22.
Scoob!
Originally set to open May 15 in theaters, Scoob! will be available for a 48-hour rental on-demand period for $19.99. The new movie follows how Scooby and Shaggy first met and how they joined with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous mystery-solving crew. This time, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever: a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. Amid the race to stop the “dogpocalypse,” the team learns that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny bigger than anyone ever could’ve anticipated.
Digital HD ($19.99)
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Artemis Fowl
Disney will release Artemis Fowl, the long-awaited adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s fantasy series about 12 year-old criminal mastermind, exclusively on Disney+, beginning on Friday, June 12. The film was originally slated for theatrical release on Memorial Day weekend.
Artemis Fowl is based on the best-selling young adult fantasy novel of the same name by Eoin Colfer and is directed by Kenneth Branagh. The film stars Ferdia Shaw in the title role, and Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Josh McGuire, Nikesh Patel and Adrian Scarborough, Colin Farrell, and Judi Dench also star.
Artemis Fowl arrives on Disney+ on Friday, June 12.
Trolls: World Tour
This animated film, a sequel to the 2016 family film Trolls, will reach on-demand services on Friday, April 10, the same day that the film was scheduled to arrive in theaters before the coronavirus pandemic. In lieu of a physical premiere event, Trolls World Tour was ushered in with a watch party on the film’s official Twitter account and a virtual movie premiere hosted by Walmart on Friday, April 10.
Digital HD ($20)
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Sonic the Hedgehog
The family film inspired by the popular video game and starring James Marsden and Jim Carrey, with Ben Schwartz voicing the iconic hedgehog, hit digital on March 31, just six weeks after its theatrical release. Sonic will be available in Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD on May 19.
Digital HD ($20)
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Digital 4K UHD ($25)
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Blu-ray + DVD + Digital ($23-$28)
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4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital ($30)
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Bad Boys for Life
Some movie franchises really do get better with age. Combining nostalgia with a good old fashioned buddy-cop formula, Bad Boys for Life stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as they reprise two of their most beloved roles. The action flick arrived on digital March 31 and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on April 21.
Digital HD ($20)
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Digital 4K UHD ($25)
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Blu-ray + DVD + Digital ($25)
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4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital ($30)
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Retailer Exclusive Editions
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Emma
NBCUniversal decided to release its slate of in-theater and upcoming films to on-demand services at the same time that they were available in still-open theaters, beginning Friday, March 20. That decision meant that this celebrated Jane Austen adaptation, directed by Autumn de Wilde and starring Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role, became available to stream on March 20.
Digital HD ($20)
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The Hunt
Also available starting on March 20 is this controversial horror-thriller, starring Betty Gilpin and Hilary Swank, about a group of rich people hunting down people they deem to be “deplorables” for sport.
Digital HD ($20)
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The Invisible Man
Leigh Whannell‘s critically revered thriller, which stars Elisabeth Moss as a woman who’s being harassed by her invisible, abusive ex, also became available to watch as of March 20.
Digital HD ($20)
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Digital 4K UHD ($25)
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4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital ($30)
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Onward
Disney announced that the latest Disney-Pixar film Onward would be available to buy digitally and on Movies Anywhere starting on March 20 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for $19.99. The film was also added to Disney+ much earlier than expected, on Friday, April 3.
Digital HD ($20)
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Digital 4K UHD ($25)
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Blu-ray + DVD + Digital ($25)
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4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital ($30)
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Retailer Exclusive Editions
Target Exclusive Edition ($35)
Best Buy Steelbook Edition ($35)
Dosed, Human Capital, Tape
It’s not just blockbusters being affected by the theatrical shutdown. A number of indie films altered their release plans as well. The addiction documentary Dosed, which was scheduled to be released March 20, was instead released digitally, with 10 percent from every purchase of the film going to coronavirus disaster relief, matched by Facebook, according to Deadline. Once theaters reopen, distributors Mangurama/Abramorama will remove the film from streaming and resume theatrical release.
Other indies which hit digital platforms and VOD early include Liev Schreiber-led family drama Human Capital, which was available as of March 20, and the revenge drama Tape, which will did a novel theatrical-style digital release starting March 26, via digital conferencing app Crowdcast.
Dosed
Digital HD ($17)
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Human Capital
Digital HD ($10)
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Birds of Prey
Warner Bros. announced its Harley Quinn spin-off Birds of Prey would be released on home video earlier than expected. Although the Margot Robbie-starring blockbuster was still screening in the theaters that remained open, it became available to purchase for $20 via video-on-demand platforms, including Amazon and iTunes, on March 24. It is also available to rent on sites like Amazon Prime Video.
Digital HD ($20)
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Digital 4K UHD ($25)
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Blu-ray + DVD + Digital ($25)
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4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital ($30)
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Retailer Exclusive Editions
Target Exclusive Edition ($25)
Best Buy Steelbook Edition ($35)
Bloodshot
Sony’s Vin Diesel-starring comic book movie Bloodshot, which is still screening in theaters that remain open, arrived on home video platforms months early, on March 24.
Digital HD ($20)
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Digital 4K UHD ($25)
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Blu-ray + DVD + Digital ($25)
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4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital ($30)
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Retailer Exclusive Editions
Best Buy Steelbook Edition ($35)
The Way Back
The Ben Affleck-starring sports drama The Way Back — about an alcoholic former high school basketball star who is recruited to coach his alma mater’s struggling team — is getting an early home video release. Warner Bros. made the movie available to purchase for $20 on on-demand platforms on March 24.
Digital HD ($20)
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Digital 4K UHD ($25)
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I Still Believe
Lionsgate’s faith-based drama starring Britt Robertson and KJ Apa, which just opened in theaters on March 13, arrived on premium VOD platforms on March 27.
Digital HD ($20)
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Impractical Jokers: The Movie
Prank lovers get to laugh a bit early as Impractical Jokers: The Movie got a digital release on April Fool’s Day. The funny flick is truTV’s first feature-length film and is coming to fans’ living rooms five weeks after its initial theatrical premiere. Chris Henchy directed the the movie, which is inspired by the TV show of the same name, is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video.
Bull
This Annie Silverstein film premiered at Cannes Film Festival last year but will be released to VOD on May 1. The pic was originally expected to hit U.S. theaters in late March after screening at SXSW. Bull stars Amber Havard as a teen who trashes her neighbor’s house and seems destined to follow her mother’s footsteps to a jail sentence but instead finds a passion in the Texas rodeo circuit. The pic also stars stars Rob Morgan and Yolonda Ross.