The PVOD experiment from studios continues as the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to shutter movie theaters nationwide. While some theater chains are gradually reopening in the States, most of the bigger names such as AMC and Regal remain closed so studios have put more focus on PVOD rentals after some of their films had to abandon their planned theatrical releases. Following in the footsteps of Universal's TROLL WORLD TOUR, Warner Bros. released SCOOB! on May 15 for PVOD rental and the early results seem very promising while the PVOD release of Josh Trank's CAPONE, starring Tom Hardy, was also a worthy contender.
While Warner Bros. is waiting to release hard numbers for SCOOB!, three VOD charts list the animated reboot at #1 for the number of transactions (this does not count revenue). SCOOB! was made available at the cost of $19.99 for 48-hour rental & $24.99 to download and own. Warner Bros. was set for a theatrical release for SCOOB! but that all changed when the COVID-19 pandemic made that a problematic endeavor. Early signs, according to reports, is that SCOOB! is clicking even faster than the April 10 PVOD launch for TROLLS WORLD TOUR, which continues to appear high on the chart. Three weeks ago that film had been rented more than 95 million times in the U.S. and Universal Pictures reported nearly $100 million in revenue.
Josh Trank's CAPONE, despite mixed reviews, also performed well on the PVOD chart. The film was released last Tuesday at $9.99 (priced higher than the standard VOD release) and ranked as high as #2 on iTunes before settling there at #4, a current placement it also has achieved on FandangoNOW. This early showing indicates that adult offerings are also being looked for during this time of self-isolation and not just family films. The caveat here is that the family-oriented films have remained steady on the chart while new releases for adults have started strong but lost traction. ARKANSAS, starring Liam Hemsworth, also debuted strong but plummeted on the chart in week two. You can check out a sample of the VOD charts below:
Amazon Prime
(ranked by # of transactions, daily position as of Monday, May 18)
1. Scoob! (Warner Bros.) – $19.99/$24.99 for download
2. Bloodshot (Sony) – $5.99
3. Trolls World Tour (Universal) – $19.99
4. Bad Boys for Life (Sony) – $5.99
5. The Greatest Showman (Disney) – $3.99
6. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) – $4.99
7. The Gentlemen (STX) – $5.99
8. Knives Out (Lionsgate) – $5.99
9. Fantasy Island (Sony) – $5.99
10. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) – $5.99
(ranked by revenue accrued for the past week, posted Monday, May 18)
1. Scoob! (Warner Bros.) – $19.99/$24.99 for download
2. Trolls World Tour (Universal) – $19.99
3. The Invisible Man (Universal) – $14.99
4. Capone (Vertical) – $9.99
5. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) – $4.99
6. Fantasy Island (Sony) – $5.99
7. Bad Boys for Life (Sony) – $5.99
8. Bloodshot (Sony) – $5.99
9. Birds of Prey (Warner Bros.) – $5.99
10. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) – $5.99
(ranked by # of transactions, daily position as of Monday, May 18, excludes premium VOD rental-only titles)
1. Scoob! (Warner Bros.) – $19.99, $24.99 for download
2. Uncut Gems (A24) – $0.99
3. Bad Boys for Life (Sony) – $5.99
4. Capone (Vertical) – $9.99
5. The Invisible Man (Universal) – $14.99
6. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) – $5.99
7. Tombstone (Disney) – $2.99
8. Fantasy Island (Sony) – $5.99
9. The Gentlemen (STX)- 5.99
10. Bloodshot (Sony) – $5.99
Even though PVOD is how most are viewing films during this time, movie theaters are also slowly reopening and while studios aren't reporting numbers, some outlets have been able to obtain grosses for some of the films and it shows that the true moviegoing experience is still being sought out. Outdoor cinemas still make up a majority of the 200-plus theaters operating nationally and supply more than 80% of the total gross (estimated at somewhere between $1-1.3 million). Keep in mind, this is without any of the major theater chains being open nationwide and drive-ins continue to grow in grosses week-to-week as this relic from the past has seen a resurgence in the wake of the pandemic. IFC continues to report theatrical box office for its films THE WRETCHED & HOW TO BUILD A GIRL and they're listed as the top box office grosses for the weekend but that's because the major studios aren't officially reporting numbers. If they were, it would show that, despite being available on PVOD, TROLLS WORLD TOUR actually leads the box office numbers with THE INVISIBLE MAN and THE HUNT comprising the rest of the top three. All three films happen to be Universal releases
SCOOB! & CAPONE skipped theaters entirely for their releases and it would've been interesting to see if there would've been any interest at the 200-plus theaters that are open for these titles. I still don't believe that PVOD is a dire threat to the overall moviegoing experience but I do believe studios will consider these kinds of releases, even as the pandemic subsides and we go back to normalcy, for films that could generate more revenue via the PVOD platform.
Did YOU check out SCOOB! or CAPONE on PVOD?