Snake Eyes getting early digital release

After a disastrous theatrical run at the box office, it looks like Paramount will be forgoing their expected 45-day theatrical window for the would-be franchise starter, G.I Joe Origins: Snake Eyes. Many only expected it to hit digital platforms this fall, but instead, the film will be available on-demand and digitally starting tomorrow.

The Henry Golding vehicle was supposed to be the movie that would re-launch the G.I. Joe franchise on the big screen. Unfortunately, however, the film met with mediocre reviews (our JimmyO disliked it) and low-key box office, only grossing $27.5 million domestically to date, with an especially poor $7.7 million collected overseas (although it’s yet to open in several key markets).

Of course, any movie’s underperformance at the box office these days comes with a caveat. With COVID-19 and the Delta variant wreaking havoc on the theatrical model, the film was never expected to set the box office on fire. That said, on its debut weekend, it opened a distant second place to the poorly reviewed (but not bad in my opinion) Old. Moreover, word-of-mouth about Snake Eyes seems almost universally poor, no doubt prompting Paramount to cut their losses and release it digitally.

No word yet on whether Snake Eyes will be available on Paramount Plus as of tomorrow, as the film had initially only been slated for the service at the end of Paramount’s newly mandated 45-day windows. That said, it’s entirely possible that when you wake up tomorrow morning, the film may indeed be available on the service if you’re a subscriber. At any rate, the wait won’t be long. However, I think it’s safe to say more G.I. Joe on the big screen seems unlikely to happen in the near future

Will you be checking out G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes digitally?