Jennifer Lopez's upcoming romantic comedy Shotgun Wedding has had its planned release in theaters cancelled after the rights to the film were sold to Amazon Prime Video. The film follows the story of a couple whose picture-perfect destination wedding is thrown into chaos when criminals take the entire wedding party hostage. Shotgun Wedding has already seen its fair share of hiccups in the production process, with Lopez's original co-star Armie Hammer quitting the project after abuse allegations were made against him. Hammer was eventually replaced by Josh Duhamel.

Shotgun Wedding's move to Amazon Prime Video was announced in a press release by the streaming service, reported by Variety. The move means that the film will no longer be released in theaters on June 29, 2022 as planned. Instead, Shotgun Wedding will instead be an Amazon Prime exclusive — the second of Lopez's films in a row to go straight to streaming after the recent Marry Me, in which she starred opposite Owen Wilson. Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke gave a statement on the acquisition:

“Packed with action, comedy, and a dash of romance, ‘Shotgun Wedding’ is one of those rare films with something for everyone. With a cast led by Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel, the film is bursting with star power and fantastic performances. We are thrilled to work with the entire filmmaking team to bring this hilarious, multifaceted film to Prime Video audiences around the world.”

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The decision to cancel the film's cinematic release is an interesting one. Though Lopez's previous romantic-comedy film Marry Me had a simultaneous release on Peacock and in cinemas, it still made over $49 million at the box office, and now Lionsgate seems to be taking a different approach altogether. As more and more films opted to release directly onto streaming services during the Covid-19 pandemic, streaming-only has become a viable option for distributors. However, after two years, audiences are finally beginning to return to theaters, and box office numbers are gradually increasing again. It remains to be seen whether this streaming-only approach translates into success for the new Shotgun Wedding.

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Source: Variety