Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie Movie ‘Babylon’ Coming to Paramount+ on Feb. 21
Decadence, ambition, gluttony; those words not only describe much of Hollywood, but also the new movie from Damien Chazelle “Babylon.” The film stars Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Jean Smart, and more through the turbulent transition from silent films to talkies. After being released on Dec. 23, Paramount+ has announced that you can enjoy all of the glitzy debaucheries from the comfort of your home beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Beginning next week, the film that dives head first into Hollywood’s glamour and excess will be available to stream in the United States and Canada. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards this year: Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design. Despite the stars, obvious technical prowess, and acclaimed filmmaking team, the film failed to find favor with either critics or audiences.
It currently has a 56% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and has only amassed $56.4 million at the box office — $15.4 domestically — against its projected $70-$80 budget. However, the film does have staunch defenders, so, if you want to see what all the fuss is about, now you have your chance.
Check out the trailer for ‘Babylon’:
“Babylon” follows a silent film star (played by Pitt), a young starlet (Robbie), a production executive (Diego Calva), a musical sensation (Jovan Adepo), and an alluring powerhouse performer (Li Jun Li). They all are striving to stay on top of the raucous Hollywood scene in the 1920s while striving to maintain their relevance at a time when the industry is moving on to the next best thing.
By arriving on Paramount+ on Feb. 21, that means that “Babylon’s” theatrical window was exactly 60 days, a little more than two weeks longer than what the company considers the default period of time. However, the company is no stranger to holding things off of streaming for longer if need be.
“Top Gun: Maverick” was first released domestically on May 27, 2022 but didn’t arrive on Paramount+ for over 200 days when it landed on Dec. 22. While “Babylon” clearly didn’t have the audience or financial response that “Maverick” did, it does go to show that the company will play each individual case by ear.
However, outside of the “Top Gun” seqel, Paramount has been pretty consistent in sticking with the 45-day window. Horror thriller “Smile” — 2022’s highest-earning original horror movie — took just 46 days to go from cinemas to streaming, which is why The Streamable originally predicted that “Babylon” would be available on Feb. 6. However, we now know that, for whatever reason, Paramount held onto the film for two extra weeks and will now be dropping it on streaming following the President’s Day weekend.
Fans of vapid opulence in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Latin America, Brazil, and South Korea will be able to stream the film on Paramount+ later this year.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and more. The lineup includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.