With movie theaters forced to close their doors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, studios have been forced to make some unexpected moves. For the most part, that's involved early Digital releases, but major tentpoles have been postponed in the hope that they'll soon make it to the big screen.
In the case of Trolls World Tour, Universal Pictures was planning a simultaneous release in theaters and on VOD services, but when the former closed, they continued with their plan (much to the chagrin of exhibitors who have vowed to make them pay).
Now, things have taken an interesting turn as the animated movie - which cost $20 on-demand - is believed to have grossed $50 million during its "opening weekend." This comes after claims from the studio that Trolls World Tour had the biggest debut weekend ever for a Digital release.
You have to believe that other studios have taken this on board, and moving forward, it could greatly affect how movies are released, especially if theaters are set to remain closed moving forward.
Another interesting thing about this number is that the first Trolls movie earned $46.5 million at the North American box office during its opening weekend, and it's highly unlikely the sequel would have topped that with a big screen release. Now, exhibitors are likely even more worried about the future.
Did you download Trolls World Tour during its opening weekend?
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