There are several 2020 movies that have been delayed which would perform much better if they released on a streaming service instead of in theaters. Because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, studios have opted to either push their movies to the end of 2020 or into 2021. However, for smaller films that may not do well competing with bigger releases, those studios have chosen to offload them onto streaming platforms. Recently, Artemis Fowl, The Lovebirds, and Beastie Boys Story were all announced to be released on a streaming service.
Even STX's My Spy is now coming out on Amazon Prime instead of in theaters. While popular, this approach isn't quite the default method of handling delayed theatrical releases. Certain titles, such as Black Widow and No Time to Die, have decided to wait out the pandemic and proceed with their theatrical releases later in the year. But that's not the only option on the table. With more and more movie shifting over to streaming, one can expect plenty more films to take a cue from the release patterns of The Lovebirds and My Spy.
Given there are still several 2020 movies without new release dates or release plans in general, it's possible that, in order to earn some money back in this time period, studios will release the follow movies on their own streaming services or third-party platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Scoob!
Originally scheduled for release on May 15, Scoob! is currently without a release date. Looking ahead at the 2020 release schedule for animated fare, there doesn't appear to be any space for Scoob! Perhaps further adjusting of the calendar will unveil an opening, but right now, there isn't a weekend in the rest of 2020 for Scoob! that wouldn't see it going up against another animated family movie. That crammed schedule makes the prospect of dropping Scoob! onto a streaming platform all the more enticing to WB brass. To boot, going this route would benefit a WB-adjacent streaming service.
Warner Bros. parent company AT&T is planning to launch HBO Max in May 2020. This platform is going to be in need of content, particularly in its first few months when it needs to stand out against a sea of other streaming services. Moving Scoob! to HBO Max would help this problem immensely in giving the brand-new service an exclusive animated movie to offer customers. Simultaneously, debuting on HBO Max would mean Scoob! wouldn't have to worry about competing against other theatrically-released animated family films. Considering all the benefits, Scoob! is a prime candidate to be shifted over to a streaming premiere.
Greyhound
The Tom Hanks submarine movie Greyhound has already had a peculiar life when it comes to release dates. Originally slated for a March 2019 release, Sony/Columbia abruptly announced in January 2019 that Greyhound would be delayed 14 months. Greyhound was further delayed another month once its first trailer was released in March 2020. By the end of the month, Greyhound once again found its release date altered as part of Sony adjusting its release schedule in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Greyhound, after going through three delays, currently doesn't have another release date. The way Sony keeps shuffling the film across its schedule gives off the impression that they lack confidence in this war drama, a perception only reinforced by how they've refused to give Greyhound a new release date. Enhancing Greyhound's struggles to find a new release date is that Tom Hanks has two more movies (BiOS and News of the World) set for the end of 2020. All of these release-related headaches make Greyhound a likely candidate for a movie that Sony unloads onto Netflix or another streaming service in the months ahead.
The New Mutants
If Greyhound's release date delays have been numerous then the release date woes of The New Mutants have been ceaseless. Originally scheduled for release all the way back in April 2018, The New Mutants appeared poised to finally debut in theaters on April 3, 2020. Then, mere weeks before its release, Disney pulled it and a slew of other movies off their release schedule. Some of those delayed Disney titles, like Mulan and Black Widow, have managed to get new dates. Unfortunately, Disney has not given the same courtesy to The New Mutants, leaving this X-Men spinoff once again in a state of limbo.
It's possible Disney is waiting to see how the 2020 schedule shakes out before committing to a new release date for this mid-budget horror film. It's also possible that The New Mutants' current lack of a release date means Disney is planning on dropping it on one of their streaming platforms. It's been long rumored that New Mutants would eventually go to either Disney+ or Hulu. That route is looking more and more possible now that Disney is sending theatrical releases like Artemis Fowl to streaming instead of theaters. Perhaps their next streaming debut will be the long-delayed The New Mutants.
The Secret Garden
The latest adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's seminal novel has had a rough journey on the road to the big screen. Originally set up for U.S. distribution with Global Road Entertainment, The Secret Garden had to change up its plans when Global Road went bankrupt. Once STX Entertainment picked it up, The Secret Garden was given an April 2020 release date. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, its release plans were once again shifted so that it could debut on August 14, 2020. Right now, it's set to open against Wonder Woman 1984 and Disney's The One and Only Ivan. All of that competition, as well as the ongoing uncertainty of theatrical spaces even being open, could lead the producers of The Secret Garden to give this feature yet another tweak in its release plans.
This time, The Secret Garden could debut domestically on a streaming service. It's a route STX just embraced for their other long-delayed movie, My Spy. Going the streaming route for The Secret Garden would also be helpful in ensuring STX would avoid yet another family movie box office dud. This studio has struggled with launching family movies theatrically in the last year. 2019 STX titles like Uglydolls and Playmobil: The Movie ended up as among the biggest box office bombs of the year. Releasing on Netflix or Amazon Prime wouldn't be the final destination The Secret Garden initially set out for, but under the circumstances, it could give the film a happy, if unexpected, ending.
Antebellum
Horror film Antebellum hails from mini-major studio Lionsgate. With fewer slots open in 2020, Antebellum may not have space to release. If Lionsgate chooses to continue with Antebellum in 2020, the movie will have to compete with titles like A Quiet Place: Part II, Halloween Kills, and the newest Conjuring movie. Also aiming to come out in late 2020 is fellow Lionsgate horror release Spiral: From The Book of Saw. In the middle of all these prolific horror sequels, there isn't much room for an original film like Antebellum. A perfect way to sidestep all that competition would be giving Antebellum a streaming release, perhaps one whose release is tied into Halloween 2020. Embracing this approach would be a boon for Lionsgate, particularly in how they wouldn't have to worry about how Antebellum will fare in a competitive horror movie landscape.