'Halloween Kills' to stream on Peacock at same time it plays in theaters
Halloween Kills
Horror flick 'Halloween Kills'will stream on Comcast Corp`s Peacock streaming service next month starting on the same day it debuts in movie theatres, distributor Universal Pictures said in a statement on Thursday.
The strategy is a shift from Comcast`s earlier plan to send the film exclusively to theatres beginning Oct. 15. Hollywood studios have been experimenting with release patterns as cinemas work to recover from COVID-19 closures and media companies try to boost interest in their streaming offerings.
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Cinema operators including AMC Entertainment, Cineworld Plc and Cinemark Holdings Inc say the streaming option eats into their business and have urged studios to stick with theatre-only debuts.
'Halloween Kills'stars Jamie Lee Curtis in a follow-up to the 2018 revival of the classic horror franchise. People who want to stream the new movie at home will need a subscription to the $5-a-month Peacock Premium or to Peacock Premium Plus, which costs $10 per month. The film will not be available on the free version of Peacock.
Universal employed the same strategy for 'The Boss Baby;animated family sequel in July. That movie generated $105.8 million in global box office sales, and Comcast executives said it also helped boost subscribers to Peacock.
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For theatres, the Delta variant of COVID-19 has slowed a hoped-for comeback in moviegoing. Upcoming films scheduled for this year include the James Bond movie 'No Time to Die,'sci-fi epic 'Dune'and Marvel movie 'Eternals.'
Some movies, including Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun: Maverick,'have been delayed until next year.
