Hollywood shows the way, takes top movies to viewers’ homes

New Delhi: As filmmakers and theatre owners in India spar over taking movies directly to digital streaming platforms with cinema halls shut indefinitely, Hollywood seems to have shown the way by going digital for some top titles.

While Universal Pictures’ animated musical Trolls World Tour is now available via video on demand in the US, Walt Disney has announced that its science fantasy adventure Artemis Fowl will skip its June theatrical release and go straight to Disney+. Warner Bros’ adventure comedy Scoob is also going to premium video-on-demand (PVoD) next week as will Universal Pictures’ comedy The King of Staten Island later. Action comedy My Spy is headed to Amazon Prime Video while romantic comedy The Lovebirds has made it to Netflix.

Like theatre owners in India who are getting jittery about several titles opting for a digital release, multiplex chains in the US haven’t taken the digital move too well either.