Jurassic World Rebirth is stomping its way to digital just 30 days after hitting theaters, because… well, actually, we can’t really think of any good reason. Universal’s not even pretending anymore. Despite the franchise’s worn-out legs (dinosaurs and audience interest included), the film has clawed its way to a massive $380.3 million at the box office in under a week. So naturally, Universal’s already announced the at-home date: August 5.
But this isn’t a one-off. Universal’s been on a speedrun lately. Wicked went digital 30 days after its theatrical debut. The How to Train Your Dragon remake is still flying high financially, yet it’s also being grounded on VOD on July 15. That’s just 31 days in. And Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sprinted to streaming in six weeks, despite solid ticket sales.
So what’s going on at Universal?
You could blame the pandemic. Back in 2020, when cinemas went dark, studios were desperate to get eyes on their content. Early digital releases went from a risky experiment to the default plan. The trouble is, they never went back. Five years later, COVID’s gone, but the shrunken release window has stayed, and studios seem perfectly fine with that.
Of course, there’s always a simple reason for a big studio’s thinking: money. Theatrical profits are split roughly 50/50 with cinemas. But digital and VOD is almost all gravy for the studios. Why share when you can hoard, right?
This has left cinemas stuck in survival mode. AMC CEO Adam Aron claimed just a few months ago that three of the six major studios had agreed to bring back the 45-day theatrical window. Some were reportedly on board. But clearly, someone at Universal missed that memo. Or ignored it entirely.
Universal’s post-COVID strategy seems pretty clear now. If a movie flops, send it to digital in 16 days. If it wins big, they’ll give it at least 31 days in movie theaters, then cash in again online. Jurassic World Rebirth, having already broken even, now exists purely to pad profit margins.
Sure, the PR spin is “more choices for viewers.” But in reality, studios are cutting cinema legs out from under them, again. After all, Jurassic World Rebirth already skipped IMAX with this release.
If you’re the type who still loves seeing your favorite film on the biggest screen possible, don’t wait too long to go see it at the cinema. But if you’ve got a decent home setup, you might as well stay on your couch for a week or two and enjoy Jurassic World Rebirth in the comfort of your own home when it arrives on August 5.
