The coronavirus outbreak has affected multiple countries. However, it has also affected multiple industries, including Hollywood, due to the closure of many movie theaters across the country.
In a bid to try and make some sense of all of this, movie studios have opted to make a number of movies available to stream ahead of their scheduled release. In some cases, this is after their theatrical release, but before their expected arrival for rental. In other cases, it is instead of their big-screen debut.
Regardless of how early they’ve arrived, with so many stuck at home and few, if any, places to go, the availability of these movies offers another outlet for the many people affected by the outbreak. However, it should be pointed out that while you may save the cost of popcorn on these movies, some are still expensive and could cost you as much as $20 to rent.
Here’s the full list of movies you can stream ahead of schedule:
- Birds of Prey
- Bloodshot
- Emma
- Frozen 2
- Onward
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
- The Gentleman
- The Hunt
- The Invisible Man
- The Way Back
- Trolls World Tour
Streaming services offer more choice, but at a price
The majority of the titles above have or are being made available to rent and therefore can be streamed via your choice of digital rental store, including Google Play Movies, iTunes, and Prime video.
The notable exceptions to this is Onward as this one is making its way to Disney’s own streaming service, Disney+, starting from April 3. Those in need of it sooner can opt to buy it starting March 20 for $19.99. However, at $6.99 per month, that may in fact be the cheapest option considering the amount of content that’s included.
For example, Frozen 2 is also now part of the Disney+ lineup, and while that’s also available to rent from the main stores, its rental cost is $4.99. With Disney+, you’ll get access to both Frozen 2 and Onward, as well as the rest of the Disney+ catalog, and for an entire month.
As for the rest, they are all up for their full rental cost through the main stores, and in some cases, heightened costs. For example, Emma, The Hunt, and The Invisible Man will each set you back $19.99 and again, that’s just to rent with the rental typically expiring 48 hours after playback has begun.
Another point to note is that Birds of Prey, Bloodshot, The Way Back, and The Gentleman won’t be available to stream until March 24. Which might be less of an issue for some, depending on when you’re reading this.
