In an ongoing effort to adapt to the coronavirus essentially shutting down the global box office, Disney is back with another surprise early release. Just two weeks after it arrived in theaters, Pixar’s Onward will be available for VOD purchase on the evening of March 20. (Specifically, 5:00 PM PST/8 PM EST.) The move is a significant escalation from Disney’s previous decision to make Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker available on VOD three days early, and in an even more surprising twist, Onward will also hit Disney+ on April 3. Via EW:
“While we’re looking forward to audiences enjoying our films on the big screen again soon, given the current circumstances, we are pleased to release this fun, adventurous film to digital platforms early for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their homes,” Onward’s director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae said in a joint statement.
Granted, Disney is clearly hoping to pad its losses as uncertainty swirls around how long audiences will be trapped indoors, but movie-goers who are making the responsible decision to socially distance themselves will undoubtedly appreciate the entertainment options coming their way. Below is a list of early VOD release dates on the horizon, which continues to grow almost every day and already includes such recent titles as Vin Diesel’s Bloodshot and Ben Affleck’s The Way Back. In an even more telling sign of the times, Trolls World Tour will be the first major film that’s going VOD as the same day as its theatrical release. We could very well be facing a game-changing event that forever changes Hollywood’s digital release strategy going forward.
Here’s a list of known release dates so far:
March 20
Emma
Onward
The Hunt
The Invisible Man
March 21
Saint Frances
March 24
Birds of Prey
Bloodshot
Dolittle
Just Mercy
The Gentlemen
The Way Back
March 27
Downhill
I Still Believe
The Call of the Wild
March 31
Sonic the Hedgehog
April 10
Trolls World Tour
