Is Idris Elba’s ‘Beast’ Available to Stream? When Will it Come to Peacock, Netflix?
Idris Elba is one of the most talented actors currently working. His disparate work in TV series like “The Office” and “The Wire” is a testament to his range, with equal ability to portray comedy or drama. Elba has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Daniel Craig as James Bond more than once, and his debonair style and action movie credentials make him a perfect fit for the role.
In the meantime, Elba is certainly keeping busy. He’ll appear and/or voice a character in five movies this year, and he’ll also be releasing a five-part series titled “Idris Elba’s Fight School” produced for the BBC.
Elba’s newest film “Beast” is out in theaters on Friday, Aug. 19 and is a creature horror film in which Elba’s character Dr. Nate Samuels travels to South Africa with his daughters to reconnect with his past. While there, they unwittingly find themselves in the path of a ferocious lion, craving human flesh and intent on killing everyone it can get its claws on.
The film also stars Iyana Halley (“Licorice Pizza”), Leah Sava Jeffries (“Empire,”) and Sharlto Copley (“District 9”). It was directed by Baltasar Kormákur, an Icelandic director who’s no stranger to action. Previously he directed “2 Guns” starring Denzel Washington and Mark Walhberg and the 2015’s “Everest,” which portrays a dramatized version of a real-life disaster on the world’s tallest mountain.
Watch The Trailer For ‘Beast’:
If you watched that trailer and thought that it’s the perfect creature feature for you, you may be asking yourself when you’ll be able to wrap a blanket around yourself and get scared silly from the comfort of your own couch while streaming “Beast.” There’s no official word on the film’s streaming plans, but let’s try and dig into the details to see if we can come up with a well-informed estimate.
The film is being distributed by Universal Studios, so it very well could fall under the studio's 45-day policy regarding moving films to its corporate streaming sibling Peacock. Since the film is being released on Aug. 19 in the U.S., that would mean that the film would be eligible to hit Peacock as early as Monday, Oct. 3.
However, there’s no guarantee that the film will be available to stream after 45 days. There is a distinct possibility that Jordan Peele’s latest horror hit “Nope” will take longer to land on streaming than 45 days — The Streamable predicted that it would come to streaming in late September — since it has had a fairly robust box office performance, especially for a horror movie. The film has already out-earned its $69 million budget, grossing over $109 million at the domestic box office so far.
Beast
A recently widowed man and his two teenage daughters travel to a game reserve in South Africa. However, their journey of healing soon turns into a fight for survival when a bloodthirsty lion starts to stalk them.
There is also encouraging news for fans who want to stream “Beast” as soon as possible. “The Black Phone,” a thriller starring Ethan Hawke, also did quite well at the box office relative to its budget, and was a hit with fans and critics. That movie followed Universal’s 45-day release pattern and is already available to stream on Peacock following its July 24 theatrical debut.
Given that information, it’s a good bet that “Beast” will stick to the 45-day theatrical window before heading to streaming on Peacock, unless it becomes an unexpectedly massive box office hit. As a part of Universal's 2021 deal with Netflix for the streamer to host the studio’s animated films, Netflix also gets certain live action films four years after their theatrical release. So if you don’t mind waiting until 2026, Netflix might be an option to stream “Beast” as well.
Nonetheless, it’s looking pretty likely that “Beast” will be on Peacock in time for Halloween, the perfect time for this scary flick. If you have a creature-feature-starring-a-world-class-actor itch that needs scratching, you shouldn’t have to wait much longer to enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” and “The Office,” as well as original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports including NFL, MLB, WWE, Olympics, Premier League, NASCAR, French Open, College Football and Basketball, and PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.