Considering that state governments are asking people to not gather in large crowds because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, movie studios are releasing movies a whole lot earlier to the digital market, considering no one can or should go to the theater right now. The latest movie to arrive early is the superhero movie Bloodshot.
The film, which is in theaters now, will have a digital release on Tuesday, March 24 through various retailers like Movies Anywhere, Google Play, Vudu, and iTunes. Bloodshot only just arrived in theaters on March 13.
“Sony Pictures is firmly committed to theatrical exhibition and we support windowing,” Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “This is a unique and exceedingly rare circumstance where theaters have been required to close nationwide for the greater good and Bloodshot is abruptly unavailable in any medium. Audiences will now have the chance to own Bloodshot right away and see it at home, where we are all spending more time. We are confident that–like other businesses hit hard by the virus–movie theaters will bounce back strongly, and we will be there to support them.”
Sony isn’t the first to do this. Recently, Universal Pictures announced that movies like The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and upcoming Trolls: World Tour will be available for rent throughout their original theatrical run. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker released a few days early on digital–it’s still being released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 31. Also arriving on March 24, along with Bloodshot, is Birds of Prey, only a month and a half after its theatrical release.
In GameSpot’s review of Bloodshot, Michael Rougeau said, “If Vin Diesel and a goofy sci-fi/superhero mash-up premise are enough to get your nanites pumping, then by all means, enjoy. Otherwise, Bloodshot will simply leave you cold.”
