The latest movies to head to on-demand early come courtesy of Disney, with February releases The Call of the Wild and Downhill available later this week. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a drastic decrease in moviegoing, largely due to most movie theaters closing around the world. Studios have been forced to think up new strategies to give their films the best chance they have to succeed. In recent weeks, several studios have sent movies released in the past few months to VOD, months earlier than normal. The list seems to grow every day, with movies such as Birds of Prey, Sonic the Hedgehog, and The Invisible Man among them.
Disney itself has supplied several new films for those stuck at home to watch. Last week, its March release Onward headed to on-demand ahead of an April Disney+ launch. Before that, Frozen II was made available on Disney+ three months early, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released on digital a few days ahead of schedule. Disney has been one of the many studios forced to reschedule their biggest upcoming releases, including Black Widow and Mulan, because of the pandemic.
The two latest films headed to on-demand are ones Disney acquired through Fox. Starting this Friday, March 27, both The Call of the Wild and Downhill will be available to purchase digitally and on Movies Everywhere. The Call of the Wild, the latest adaptation of the classic Jack London novel, will cost $14.99, while Downhill will be available for $9.99.
Both films stumbled at the box office upon their release. While The Call of the Wild performed a bit above expectations, its hefty budget of $125 million seemed to assure the film would never be a financial hit. However, the Harrison Ford-starring film did earn positive reviews, as Disney noted it scored a 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, Downhill fared less well, opening to $4.6 million on Valentine's Day weekend opposite poor reviews. The film stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell as a couple whose marriage begins to crumble following an avalanche at the ski lodge they're staying at.
Releasing the films on-demand during this time could help minimize any losses the films were facing, though it might be too late for The Call of the Wild. Still, this is a time when most people are staying home and looking for new forms of entertainment, so any batch of new movies will be appreciated. Expect more films to join The Call of the Wild and Downhill in the following weeks.
Source: Walt Disney Studios