Wesley Hilliard
Instead of a theater release in May, or a digital rental period, Warner Brothers will release their new movie 'Scoob!' on iTunes for a $25 one-time purchase.
After the success of "Trolls" from Universal releasing direct to on-demand services, Warner Brothers is following suit with its own approach. "Scoob!" is the first high profile movie to skip theatrical release and a rental window entirely, and will be available for purchase at a premium $24.99.
New iTunes releases from AAA studios usually retail for $19.99 for a digital purchase. This purchase includes any content available for the movie, and the 4K version if it exists. More recently, straight-to-streaming rentals for movies unable to release theatrically have been priced at $19.99 for a 48 hour rental.
Customers had to choose between buying a movie when its rental window closed, or viewing the movie weeks or months sooner by renting it for the same price. This created a problem, as people who wanted to view the early rental, then purchase the final release would spend $40 on a single film.
Warner Brothers seems to see the issue with rental pricing, and is taking a new approach with their release of "Scoob!" on iTunes. Instead of having customers pay twice for a single movie, they are allowing them to buy the movie outright, although for a premium. There has never been a single movie on iTunes for $24.99, so this breaks new territory as companies try to offset the losses brought on by the lockdown.
Some movies that were able to premiere right before the lockdown have seen much shorter theatrical releases as well. Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog" was released for $19.99 well before a normal theatrical run would allow.
Home premieres of blockbuster movies is just part of the new normal as the world adjusts to life on lockdown. The coronavirus pandemic has caused many industries to halt and has affected Apple and the entertainment industry as a whole in unprecedented ways.
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
14 Comments
Twenty-five dollars! … Zoinks!
It only makes sense. When the biggest best experience possible was 500i on a 25 inch screen, theaters made sense.
* paying $30 for popcorn and a drink
To then
* listen to people talk
* and babies scream
* with your feet sticking to the floor
ALL WHILE YOU HAVE TO PEE from your $11 96oz drink...
The math just doesn’t work anymore.
Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you !?! Not at my house. :'(
And again, what's to stop Warner Bros. from pulling the title from iTunes entirely later down the line (without notice), preventing any "redownloads" or future streaming? Apple needs to do more to ensure that (a) if this does happen, customers are notified in advance and (b) put a stop to the practice entirely (if you sell content to iTunes, they get to keep a copy in perpetuity for those people who have bought it, even if it's no longer being offered for sale).
AMC can complain all they want but their vehicle for showing movies is quickly dying. Even before the pandemic the theater experience has been waning with higher prices and lower attendance rates. The AMC near me has fallen into disrepair with torn up recliners and a rodent infestation.