After making Birds of Prey available early via VOD on March 24, Warner Bros. is doing the same for the critically-acclaimed Ben Affleck drama, The Way Back. The film will be released on March 24 as well.
Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, issued the same sentiment that has been expressed across the board about these early releases given the current state of affairs:
“With audiences largely unable to view films in theatrical release under current circumstances, we have decided to provide the alternative of early digital ownership of our currently released titles to people looking for great entertainment options. So, while we remain big fans of the theatrical experience and hope audiences are able to return to cinemas in the near future, we understand that these are challenging times and offering this option simply makes sense.”
The Way Back follows a former high school basketball champ who gets the opportunity to coach the struggling team at his alma mater while contending with his alcoholism. The film opened on March 6 to a little over $8 million but its second weekend was definitely directly affected by the initial decision for movie theaters to limit capacity. As theaters began closing their doors for the foreseeable future, it became clear not much more could be made theatrically so this is the best alternative. The film has grossed $13.6 million to date.
The Way Back follows fellow Warner Bros. release, Birds of Prey which is being sent out early on VOD along with Universal’s The Invisible Man, The Hunt, Focus Features’ Emma (available this Friday for 48-hour rental), Sony’s Bloodshot (out on EST also March 24), STX’s The Gentlemen (March 24) and Lionsgate’s I Still Believe (March 27).
