Another day, another story related to COVID-19.
Deadline is reporting that The Lovebirds, a romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, has been sent over to Netflix after the coronavirus outbreak postponed the film’s theatrical opening. Paramount was set to release the film today but things got all mucked up last week and the film was yanked off the schedule. Now it has found a new home with Netflix, though a release date hasn’t been announced by the streaming giant. You can assume it’ll be soon though since the marketing was making the rounds before the film’s delay. The movie is ready to go and Netflix will want to take advantage of that and the large audience stuck at home waiting for more content.
I write about this news because I feel it’s something we will see a lot more of in the weeks and months ahead. A lot of movies got postponed because of COVID-19 and more and more will be delayed in the weeks ahead. These movies won’t ALL find their way back to theaters. A lot of them will have to secure other homes, mostly streaming homes, to reach audiences. The COVID-19 pandemic has been awful for just about every industry but it has been good for streaming services. This could be a watershed moment for those services, a time when the power and importance of these on-demand apps and companies really shines and they improve their standing in the entertainment landscape. No longer will Netflix and the others be seen as the little brothers of movie theaters. They are proving their worth.
So while the exchange of The Lovebirds from Paramount to Netflix might not be the biggest news ever, it’s a sign of things to come. Expect other movies impacted by the coronavirus outbreak to find new home, possibly in your living room, soon.