Originally scheduled for release on April 24, time-bending horror film ‘Antebellum’ – starring GRAMMY-nominated singer-actress Janelle Monáe – saw its theatrical release postponed ‘until further notice’ due to the current global health crisis (as we reported here).
It appears the ‘further notice’ has come as its distributor, Lionsgate, has unveiled news the movie will bypass cinemas all together and premiere on premium on-demand platforms instead.
Details inside:
While Stateside theaters are slowly returning to operation (while still trying to align their reopenings with recommended health and safety protocols), the speed at which they’re doing so is not exactly profitable for many film studios. To combat the wait, many are opting to bring their movies directly to consumers at home. Lionsgate is the latest to join the parade.
Bringing their film ‘Antebellum’ to VOD Sept. 18, the movie will not get a simultaneous theatrical release in the U.S. but will be released in select offshore markets.
“While the theatrical experience will always be the heart of our business, we are thrilled that we are able to seize the opportunity to match Gerard and Chris’s urgent and immediate film with a release strategy befitting this moment of extraordinary change,” said Joe Drake, Chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “Gerard and Chris are storytellers whose work beats with authenticity – not only will this film entertain and thrill audiences worldwide, but spark a discussion about our current world.”
Directed and written by filmmakers Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz (as mentioned in the quote above), ‘Antebellum’ marks their feature film directorial debut.
Monáe offered a statement of her own.
“While we designed Antebellum to be consumed as a communal experience in the theater, we are thrilled by the unique opportunity we have to pivot to a different kind of communal moment in our culture,” she stated. “As we face the realities of systemic racism in our country, which have crescendoed to this current inflection point in 2020, we understand how imperative it is to bring Antebellum to the broadest audience possible, while also prioritizing health and safety. It is our ardent hope that by sharing our film widely, both nationally and internationally, we will transform the moviegoing experience from home into a true event.”
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