Warner Bros. is releasing “Scoob!” today — as paid VOD only. It will not have a theatrical movie run. “Scoob!” is an animated remake of the 1970s crime-solving cartoon “Scooby-Doo,” which features Scooby, an oversized dog, and his four pals.
How to Buy or Rent ‘Scoob!’
- When: Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m. ET
- Price: $19.99 (Rental) / $24.99 (Purchase)
- Stream: Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Google Play, and Fandango Now
Will Forte voices Shaggy, Zac Efron is Fred, Gina Rodriguez is the brainy Velma, Amanda Seyfried is Daphne and Frank Welker is Scooby-Doo.
“Scoob!” centers on how the quartet created Mystery Inc. In the movie, they face the biggest caper of their career — a nefarious plot to send ghost dog Cerberus into the world.
The film debuts at 7 p.m. ET on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, YouTube, Fandango Now, Google Play, Row8 and MoviesAnywhere.
It is available for a 48-hour PVOD rental price of $19.99 or purchase at $24.99. (Conversely, NBCU released “Trolls World Tour” strictly as a $20 rental.)
The new straight-to-video trend, which has upset theater owners, has been driven by shelter-in-place orders. Yet the success of the model, in the present circumstances, is hard to refute: “Trolls World Tour” earned NBCU more than $100 million.
Without health fears, “Scoob!” would probably been screened in more than 3,000 theaters. Studios want their films to open in theaters nationwide. To screen in only select states or venues, given ongoing restrictions in New York City, among other urban centers, is tricky, notes IndieWire.
True, some states are seeing success with drive-ins, which are doing far better financially than a year ago. But again, it’s not a nationwide option, and studios are wary of setting a precedent.
“Artemis Fowl,” directed by Kenneth Branagh, was scheduled for a May 29 movie release, but will now stream on Disney+ June 12. Given the pandemic, Disney also made “Onward,” a Pixar animated film, available for digital purchase months ahead of schedule. The film hit movie theaters on March 6, but began streaming on Disney+ April 3.
Warner was an early adaptor. “Birds of Prey,” a spinoff of 2017’s “Suicide Squad,” was released in theaters February 8, just ahead of theater closings. It was subsequently offered to users for purchase in March for $19.99 and rental in April on platforms such as Amazon Prime and iTunes.
Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures