Things are looking good for new movie Scoob!, which has hit number one on Amazon Prime and iTunes charts faster than Trolls World Tour. Scoob! is the latest film to skip theaters in favor of a VOD release. Originally scheduled to debut theatrically May 15, Warner Bros. announced in late April it would keep that date, but release at home instead. VOD has played a significantly bigger role in the film industry since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Some already released movies, like Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), hit digital sooner than expected. Others, like Frozen 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker released on Disney+ ahead of their originally announced dates, as a way to cheer up fans and boost the streaming service.
The biggest movie to release straight to VOD so far is arguably Trolls World Tour, which had the best digital debut ever when it dropped April 10. It reportedly made a whopping $50 million in its opening weekend on-demand. It even went onto best the first Trolls movie, generating more revenue in its first three weeks of digital than the original did in five months of theatrical release. However, the win wasn't without controversy, as NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell stated the company expected "to release movies on both formats" in the future, meaning both VOD and movie theaters. This ignited a feud with AMC, who said they wouldn't show Universal movies once theaters reopen. This caused Shell to backtrack a bit, calling PVOD movies "a complementary element" to theatrical releases.
Now, the success of Scoob! may further complicate the relationship between studios and movie theaters. According to IndieWire, the new movie hit number one on both Amazon Prime and iTunes charts its first day of digital release. Trolls World Tour didn't make it to number one on Amazon Prime until its second day and never showed up on the iTunes charts. However, IndieWire notes this is because iTunes charts only show movies that can be downloaded.
Trolls World Tour and Scoob! are easy to compare, as they both appeal to the same demographic and are two of the few films so far skipping theatrical releases. Both also come from established franchises, though Scoob! arguably has more name recognition. It's also the first attempt at a full-length animated feature for Scooby-Doo. In the movie, Scooby and the gang face off against Dick Dastardly, who attempts to release the Great Cerberus. Despite the film's impressive start on premium VOD charts, reviews of Scoob! have been mixed.
The real test for digital vs. theatrical release will come when theaters reopen following the pandemic. Now that studios have seen the potential for success with VOD, it will be interesting to see how many favor that approach going forward. The Universal/AMC fight shows both studios and movie theaters have a lot to lose. It seems likely both will keep an eye on Scoob! and other straight to digital releases to form a game plan going forward.
Source: IndieWire