The effects of the pandemic have made the window between theatrical and VOD releases more fluid. In the past, 90 days was the industry standard; though, that’s no longer the case given the last 18 months. Plenty of high profile titles don’t see the inside of a cinema, at all; others receive hybrid debuts; and many spend 45 days on the big screen before hitting home viewing options.
After Snake Eyes stalled at the box office, Paramount decided to send the G.I. Joe prequel to VOD just 25 days after it premiered theatrically. Now, Sony made a similar move with Don’t Breathe 2, which arrives on digital today, a mere three weeks after opening in second place at the domestic box office, behind Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy.
The first installment was one of 2016’s biggest sleeper hits, earning close to $160 million on a budget under $10 million. True, the sequel was never going to reach those numbers, but the return of Stephen Lang’s Norman Nordstrom also saw a huge drop in terms of critical reactions, with a 41% Rotten Tomatoes score lagging way behind its predecessor’s 88%.
Don’t Breathe 2 has, thus far, hauled in $36 million globally, which is enough to put it in the black when production costs were only $15 million. Business is still struggling due to the Delta variant; therefore, it could turn out to be a smart call on the studio to drop the Blind Man’s return on VOD after 21 days, which could lead to fans who weren’t convinced on a trip to their multiplex tuning in on their coach.
