Variety has broken huge news regarding Amazon attaining another anticipated theatrical release for their streaming service. Sony Pictures Animation and Amazon are nearing a $100 million deal for the animated feature Hotel Transylvania: Transformania to stream globally on Amazon Prime Video,
The series has been a monster family franchise for Sony, with the first three films grossing more than $1.3 billion in theaters worldwide since 2012. But the surge in COVID cases has made theatrical exhibition of family pics untenable since there is no vaccine yet for children under 12. With New York City enacting a vaccine mandate for indoor venues on Tuesday, and other major cities seriously considering their own, sources say that in early August, Sony began exploring an alternative release for the fourth film, which had been slated to open in theaters on Oct. 1.
Sony will retain rights to home entertainment, linear TV and Chinese exhibition, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.
As the only major studio without a dedicated streaming service, Sony has struck deals for films on its 2020 and 2021 slates across the streaming ecosystem. In 2020, Sony placed “Greyhound” with Apple TV Plus, “An American Pickle” with HBO Max and “Happiest Season” with Hulu. This year, the studio has worked with Netflix for “Fatherhood,” “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” and “Vivo,” and with Amazon for “Cinderella,” which will debut on Sept. 3.
