Following the lead of several theatrical releases being made available early due to the coronavirus pandemic and the movie theater closures, Warner Bros'. THE WAY BACK & the faith-based tear-jerker, I STILL BELIEVE, will also be made available early via video-on-demand services.
THE WAY BACK will be available on March 24 & Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, issued a statement that shares the same sentiment that has been expressed across the board about these early releases given the current state of affairs:
"With audiences largely unable to view films in theatrical release under current circumstances, we have decided to provide the alternative of early digital ownership of our currently released titles to people looking for great entertainment options. So, while we remain big fans of the theatrical experience and hope audiences are able to return to cinemas in the near future, we understand that these are challenging times and offering this option simply makes sense."
THE WAY BACK follows a former high school basketball champ (Ben Affleck) who gets the opportunity to coach the struggling team at his alma mater while contending with his alcoholism. The film opened on March 6 to a little over $8 million but its second weekend was definitely directly affected by the initial decision for movie theaters to limit capacity amid growing coronavirus concerns. As theaters began closing their doors for the foreseeable future, it became clear not much more could be made theatrically so this is the best alternative. The film has grossed $13.6 million to date.
I STILL BELIEVE, which stars KJ Apa and Britt Robertson, will be available for rental via on-demand services beginning Friday, March 27. The film, directed by The Erwin Brothers, follows the true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss. Released via Lionsgate, Joe Drake, Chairman of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, had this to say about the decision:
"The theatrical experience is core to our business, and exhibitors are our integral partners and allies. With theaters closed nationwide due to these unprecedented events, we want to continue to make I Still Believe available to consumers. We’re enormously proud of the movie that the Erwin Brothers created and are grateful to be able to share it with audiences for their home viewing pleasure."
The Erwin Brother, while admitting the film was made for the theatrical experience, are just happy that moviegoers will still get a chance to see the film:
"As filmmakers, we are heartbroken that we can’t share I Still Believe on a big screen the way we intended. We make movies because we love movies and we stand firmly behind the nation’s theater chains, from the largest circuits to the smallest mom and pop indies that have been so dramatically affected by these unprecedented closures. But the safety of guests comes first, and we’re proud to have the opportunity to share online a movie whose inspiring message of love, hope and faith is perfect for these uncertain times."
Faith-based films tend to do decent business at the box office and I Still Believe seemed poised for a moderately successful run as opening day audiences graced the film with an “A” CinemaScore. As of now, the film has grossed $9.8 million after six days of release. The early VOD released for both THE WAY BACK & I STILL BELIEVE follows fellow Warner Bros. release, BIRDS OF PREY which is being sent out early on VOD along with Universal’s THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE HUNT, Focus Features’ EMMA (available today for 48-hour rental), Sony’s BLOODSHOT (out on EST also March 24) & STX’s THE GENTLEMEN (March 24).
Will YOU be checking out any of these titles? Would YOU like to see other films hit VOD early due to the current circumstances?