Amazon has come out with a theater-going alternative for the coronavirus age.
Prime Video Cinema, under Amazon’s Prime Video, will offer new releases (previously intended for theatrical release) for 48-hour rent or purchase.
As movie theatres close independently or under government mandate in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, many studios have opted to postpone their upcoming releases. Universal Pictures was the first, postponing the release of Bond film No Time to Die in early March.
Prime Video Cinema takes another route, and an unprecedented one. Traditionally, movies set for theatrical release are distributed to theaters and shown for about six months before transitioning to DVDs and digital downloads.
NBCUniversal and iTunes followed suit, with NBCUniversal announcing it would make movies available for rent online the same time they’re theatrically released.
Currently, the titles available on Prime Video Cinema are Onward, The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma, but more are sure to follow.