2020’s release calendar has been dealing with a slew of shuffling over the past month, as studios have been faced with making different decisions for its highly-anticipated summer movies and recently-stalled productions. Warner Bros was quick to move Wonder Woman 1984 from June to August, and now the studio has decided to pull Scoob! from a theatrical release all together.
The 3D animated film based on the Scooby-Doo cartoon was originally set to hit theaters on May 15, but now it will be available to rent and buy on Digital on that date instead. Warner Bros will offer 48-hour rentals for $19.99 and the choice for the title to be purchased for $24.99, per The Hollywood Reporter.
The decision follows in the footsteps of Universal’s unprecedented decision to release Trolls World Tour straight to homes earlier in April to the dismay of cinema owners. The animated title broke records for the VOD platform by scoring the biggest first weekend for a digital title, according to Universal.
Scoob! does answer a specific frustration some parents voiced following the release of Trolls World Tour: the ability to purchase it right away. Since kids often enjoy repeated viewings, some parents found themselves spending $60 on the title so their children could enjoy it for longer than 48 hours. You can check out Warner Bros’ official statement about the decision to release Scoob! early in the words of the studio’s chairman-CEO Ann Sarnoff:
While we’re all eager to be able to once again show our films in theaters, we’re navigating new, unprecedented times which call for creative thinking and adaptability in how we distribute our content. We know fans are eager to see Scoob! and we’re delighted we can deliver this feel-good movie for families to enjoy while they’re home together.
Scoob! is an origin story about Scooby-Doo and his Mystery Machine gang featuring Will Forte as Shaggy, Zac Efron as Fred Jones, Gina Rodriguez as Velma, Amanda Seyfried as Daphne along with the voice talents of Mark Wahlberg, Kiersey Clemons, Jason Isaacs, Tracy Morgan and Ken Jeong.
Along with Trolls World Tour and Scoob making the decision to skip a theatrical release, Disney recently announced that Artemis Fowl would exclusively hit Disney+ this summer instead of hitting theaters on May 29. Paramount also struck a deal with Netflix to drop rom-com The Lovebirds on May 22 since its original April 3 release date was disrupted by theater shutdowns. The Dave Bautista-led family comedy My Spy was additionally picked up by Amazon Prime to replace its mid-April theatrical date.
Movie theaters continue to be closed to the public, but theater chains are hoping to provide the cinematic experience again in mid-June or early July. Just in time for Warner Bros’ Tenet? Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more news on the 2020 theatrical and digital calendar.
