Disney's latest Pixar feature "Onward" will be arriving to the at-home market a bit earlier than expected because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The animated feature will be available to buy digitally for $19.99 starting Friday at 8:00 pm ET. It will be on Disney+, the company's streaming service, starting April 3 in the U.S.
"Onward" had around $61.5 million in ticket sales at the North American box office since being released March 6, a lower-than-normal haul for a Pixar film because of tepid reviews and the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, the film tallied just over $100 million.
"While we're looking forward to audiences enjoying our films on the big screen again soon, given the current circumstances, we are pleased to release this fun, adventurous film to digital platforms early for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their homes," director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae said in a statement.Â
The coronavirus outbreak has had an unprecedented impact on the entertainment industry and studios have been forced to make tough decisions about what movies will be delayed and what movies will be sent to the home market. Movie theaters across the U.S. and internationally have been shuttered in an attempt to stem the rate of infection.
Universal's "Trolls World Tour" will simultaneously debut online and in theaters on April 10. Other films from that studio that were in theaters, like "The Invisible Man," "The Hunt" and "Emma" are now available for a 48-hour rental as soon as with the suggested price of $19.99.
A number of other films that were in theaters have also opted for this approach including Warner Bros. "The Way Back"," Lionsgate's "I Still Believe" and Sony's "Bloodshot."
Other films have been outright postponed like Disney's "Mulan," "New Mutants" and "Black Widow;" Universal's "F9" and "Minions: The Rise of Gru;" and Paramount's "A Quiet Place Part II," among dozens of others.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.
