'Birds of Prey' Among VOD Early Releases Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Warner Bros. scheduled the release of the movie “Birds of Prey” earlier than expected. The movie will go into digital storefronts on Mar. 24, under an expected price of $20. Starting April, the video will also be available to rent from similar stores.

According to Variety, this news came at a time when cinema closures have become commonplace because of widespread coronavirus outbreaks. The entertainment industry also continues to adjust as actors and actresses prove not immune to the virus and movie productions have shut down as production members get infected.

This decision from Warner Bros. appeared to follow the announcement of Universal Studios. In what looks like a reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak, it has also decided that several of its films which are still currently in theaters would become available digitally. These films are reportedly available as early as this Friday, Mar. 20.

These WB releases, along with “Birds of Prey”, are just a few of the movies that have been made available on video-on-demand earlier than was planned. Mashable reported that it is a sound tactic. Cinema closures and the virus outbreak had made people stay indoors and are in dire need of entertainment.

Guy Ritchie’s “The Gentlemen” will be joining “Birds of Prey” on its VOD release. The announcement came right after director Cathy Yan expressed her thoughts on the matter. According to the director, she wouldn’t mind having the film join other movies in releasing earlier than planned onto home screens.

Disney’s “Frozen 2” will also be released on Disney+ earlier than expected. The movie will be available three months early over the weekend after the virus had closed down schools and other establishments in many cities and towns. Universal Studio’s “The Invisible Man”, “Emma” and “The Hunt” are also releasing this Friday, while “Trolls World Tour” will arrive in VOD on Apr. 10, at the same time it comes to movie theaters.

It’s either that or to postpone releases. The latest Bond film “No Time To Die”, “A Quiet Place II” and Disney’s live-action “Mulan” film had all been postponed.