From 'Onward' to 'The Way Back' : Every Movie Being Released Early as Theaters Close Due to Coronavirus

As movie theaters across the country close, films that were recently released on the big screen are now available to stream

As movie theaters across the country close due to the new coronavirus pandemic, films that were recently released on the big screen are now arriving early to stream for audiences to watch at home.

The current health dilemma has prompted studios to rethink their release strategies, with many delaying film releases altogether, while films that had their theatrical runs cut short are now being rushed to streaming services.

From the Ben Affleck led drama The Way Back to Disney’s recent Pixar release Onward, here is every movie coming early to digital and streaming.

The Way Back

the way back
Richard Foreman

Warner Bros. announced Thursday that the Ben Affleck inspirational basketball drama will be available for its digital debut on March 24. The digital release comes a little more than three weeks after The Way Back first hit theaters on March 6.

Onward

disney pixar onward
Onward. Disney/Pixar

In one of the quickest turnarounds from theaters to digital, Disney announced that the Pixar animated film Onward would be available for digital purchase for $19.99 on Friday at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST. It will later land on Disney+ on April 3. The animated fantasy film’s digital release comes two weeks after it hit theaters on March 6.

The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man Review Roundup, Elisabeth Moss

Universal and Blumhouse’s monster-movie reboot, The Invisible Man, is set to arrive Friday at a suggested price of $19.99 for a 48-hour viewing window.

Birds of Prey

BIRDS OF PREY
Claudette Barius/ © DC Comics

Warner Bros. announced that Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will be available March 24 for digital purchase and video on demand.

Trolls World Tour

Trolls World Tour
Trolls World Tour. DreamWorks Animation

Universal announced that the animated Trolls sequel starring Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick will forgo a theatrical release altogether and will instead be available digitally April 10.

The Hunt

Hilary Swank The Hunt Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures

Universal’s The Hunt has the shortest window between its theatrical debut and its VOD release: only 7 days after its March 13 release. The release was canceled last year after controversies about the film’s politics and gun violence.

Frozen 2

From the Academy Award®-winning team—directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, and producer Peter Del Vecho—and featuring the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad, and the music of Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen 2” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2019. ©2019 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
Disney

Frozen 2 arrived on Disney+ early on March 15, three months before the animated sequel was planned to be released on the streaming service. In a statement, Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer at The Walt Disney Company shared that the studio wanted to give families “some fun and joy during this challenging period.”

I Still Believe

i still believe
Michael Kubeiy/Lionsgate

I Still Believe is heading to streaming services on March 27. The true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp, played by Riverdale’s KJ Apa, also stars Britt Robertson, Gary Sinise and Shania Twain.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Lucasfilm

Disney made the final installment of the Star Wars saga, The Rise of Skywalker, available for purchase on March 13, days before it was planned to originally be released.

Emma.

Anya Taylor-Joy
Focus Features

Anya Taylor-Joy stars in this Jane Austen adaptation which will be available for a 48-hour rental period at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The film initially hit theaters on February 21, making its VOD debut only three weeks later.

Just Mercy

JUST MERCY
Just Mercy. Jake Giles Netter

This film stars Michael B. Jordan as lawyer Bryan Stevenson and Jamie Foxx as death row inmate Walter McMillian. Universal announced that it will be available for digital purchase on March 24.

Bloodshot

Vin Diesel Bloodshot
GRAHAM BARTHOLOMEW

Just under two weeks after it premiered in theaters, the sci-fi action film Bloodshot will be available for digital purchase on March 24. It stars Vin Diesel as a slain soldier who is resurrected with superpowers.

The Gentlemen

Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam The Gentlemen
Christopher Raphael

In a tweet, Fandango shared that The Gentlemen is moving its VOD date to March 24. The Matthew McConaughey and Charlie Hunnam starring film follows an American marijuana kingpin in England who is looking to sell his business.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.

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