IN A SHORT period of time, the movie landscape around the world, including Australia, became unrecognisable. In late March, the Federal Government ordered cinemas in this country to close their doors. Going to the movies, at least for a while, would have to take place outside of an actual cinema.
For the studios, the response to this crisis has been simple: delay their films’ releases until all of this blows over. But some have taken the near-unprecedented step of making high-profile movies available to download, weeks or even days after their theatrical releases.
Onward, Birds Of Prey, The Hunt, The Invisible Man and Bloodshot moved their digital release dates forward. Meanwhile, Easter holiday family fare Trolls World Tour just abandoned its theatrical release, moving, remarkably, to digital-only.
Industry expert and…