“Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is now available to stream on Hulu. The Céline Sciamma-directed film was to be released later this spring, but after its theater run was cut short due to coronavirus concerns, the streamer has decided to release it on the platform earlier than planned.
The film was acquired by Neon and Hulu at the Cannes Film Festival last May and was released in two theaters in December in order to qualify for the Academy Awards, according to Variety. It was released nationwide on Feb. 14, before theater closures began. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” grossed $3.7 million in the U.S. and more than $23 million globally.
The film stars Noémie Merlant as Marianne, a young painter commissioned to paint a portrait of Héloïse—played by Adèle Haenel — a reluctant young bride-to-be who has just left a convent. The pair falls in love as they get to know each other.
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” joins a series of movies that have had early digital releases due to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this week, Variety reported that Sony’s action comedy “Bad Boys for Life,” will be available on March 31.
Disney also made “Onward,” a Pixar animated film, available for digital purchase months ahead of schedule. The film, which hit theaters on March 6, will also be available on Disney+ on April 3. The digital film is available to download at Amazon Prime Video, priced at $19.99.
Similarly, Warner Bros. digitally released “Birds of Prey,” a spinoff of 2017’s “Suicide Squad,” on March 24. It stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan McGregor and Rosie Perez and opened in theaters Feb. 8. Users can purchase “Birds of Prey” for $19.99 in throughout March and will be able to rent it in April on platforms such as Amazon and iTunes.