Is ‘Amsterdam’ Available to Stream? Will Bale, Robbie, Washington Film Be Available on Hulu, HBO Max?
The fall TV season is here, but that doesn’t mean that movie studios have gone quiet for the winter. 20th Century Studios’ newest offering “Amsterdam” is hitting theaters this Friday, Oct 7.
“Amsterdam” follows three friends — a doctor, a nurse, and a lawyer — who become prime suspects in the murder of U.S. Senator Bill Meekins in the 1930s. The film is based on the so-called Business Plot, a real conspiracy hatched in 1933 to overthrow President Franklin Roosevelt and install a fascist dictator in his place.
The film boasts an incredibly impressive ensemble cast, featuring Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldaña, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Ed Begley Jr., Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro.
Watch The Trailer For ‘Amsterdam’:
If you’re interested in “Amsterdam” but want to skip the lines and see it from your living room, you probably want to know when the movie will be available to stream. There’s been no announcement from 20th Century Studios, but past releases can offer some clues.
As of 2019, 20th Century Studios is owned by Disney, which means that the film is most likely to head to one of its streaming services when it finishes its theatrical window. As “Amsterdam” is rated R, it’s more likely to fit on Hulu than Disney+ when its streaming release comes.
Forty-five days has become the industry standard floor for sending films to streaming after a theatrical window, which would make “Amsterdam” eligible to migrate to streaming as early as Monday, Nov. 21. There may be an incentive for Disney and 20th Century Studios to keep the film in theaters longer, however, thanks to a complicated agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery stemming from Disney’s purchase of FOX in 2019.
That agreement specifies that HBO Max will get exclusive streaming rights to approximately half of 20th Century’s releases, while the other 50% will be shared with Disney+ and/or Hulu once the films finish their theatrical windows. The deal ends at the end of 2022, so if WBD wants to stream “Amsterdam,” there is a chance of that happening.
However, it should be noted that the film has not been popular among critics. Review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes currently has the film from acclaimed director David O. Russell at 35%, so perhaps HBO Max might end up passing on the film altogether.
This split-rights deal is precisely the reason that Disney decided to release “Prey” directly on streaming over the summer instead of theatrically. Had Disney put the film in theaters, it would have had to give HBO Max a crack at the film before releasing it onto Hulu. Instead, the “Predator” prequel became a hit for Hulu, and the company kept all of the acclaim and attention for itself.
If Disney does keep to the 45-day window for “Amsterdam,” it would allow the film to hit streaming in time for For Your Consideration viewing. Russell has had his share of controversies recently, but he’s also garnered Oscar nominations before. By releasing the film on or around Nov. 21 (which is our best guess), Disney would ensure that the movie would get proper consideration from Academy members, critical response notwithstanding.
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