Warner Bros. announced via a press release that Scoob! will skip a theatrical run. The animated feature will debut on VOD services. It will be available to rent in the US and Canada at $19.99 for 48 hours or buy at $24.99 on May 15th, its original release date. Anna Sarnoff, Chair and CEO of Warner Bros., had this to say in a statement:
While we’re all eager to be able to once again show our films in theaters, we’re navigating new, unprecedented times which call for creative thinking and adaptability in how we distribute our content. We know fans are eager to see ‘SCOOB!’ and we’re delighted we can deliver this feel-good movie for families to enjoy while they’re home together.”
Scoob! is far from the only movie to go this route during the pandemic. Universal’s Trolls World Tour went straight to streaming earlier this month. And it broke a VOD record in the process. Disney will release the upcoming live-action book adaptation, Artemis Fowl, for Disney+ on June 12th. With so many kids stuck at home during the pandemic, family entertainment is dominating streaming platforms. In addition to the success of Trolls World Tour, Despicable Me shot to the #1 most-streamed spot on Netflix.
However, family movies aren’t the only ones skipping theatrical releases. Paramount’s The Lovebirds, which was initially pulled with no release date, will now be available on Netflix May 22nd. Capone, a biopic of the notorious gangster starring Tom Hardy, will also skip a theatrical release. It will be available on VOD services on May 12th. Those are just a few instances of studios adapting during the current pandemic.
Based on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, Scoob! tells the story of how Shaggy met his lovable, talking pup. But in the present-day, the Mystery, Inc. team will learn of an apocalypse linked to Scooby’s destiny. It stars Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried, and Frank Welker as Scoob.
