Film studios are trying to make the best of a bad situation. With theaters closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many studios are opting for alternative release plans. For instance, Universal chose to release Trolls World Tour as a digital rental, forgoing a theatrical launch. It turns out, it was a very smart decision.
According to Universal, Trolls World Tour has been rented more than five million times since it was released on March 11. That's $95 million in rental fees, with each individual rental costing around $20. Since digital sales have a higher profit margin than theatrical releases, Universal keeps $77 million of that $95, making it more successful in three weeks than the original Trolls was in five months.
Universal plans to further explore digital releases for what would previously have been theatrical releases in the future. The King of Staten Island will now be released digitally on June 12, for example. However, Universal still plans on a theatrical release for Fast 9, which was pushed back from a late May release to April 2, 2021.
But Universal's move toward digital isn't popular with theater chains. Theaters typically enjoy an exclusive window for major films from film producers like Universal. Those theaters, who are in an extremely dangerous position due to COVID-19, likely see Universal's decision as a major betrayal. AMC Theaters says it won't screen Universal films at its theaters, Regal says it won't screen films that don't respect the exclusivity window, and the controversy is likely only starting.
Trolls World Tour is available to rent now from Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu, and Youtube.