Releasing Family Films During COVID-19

Theatrical vs. streaming service releases for family films, such as ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’.

Sony Pictures is said to be considering alternative releases for the fourth ‘Hotel Transylvania’ film due to Delta variant concerns. The film had a planned theatrical release for this fall, but many are worried about the safety of children in places like theaters. Children under twelve are unable to get vaccinated at this time and vaccines may be mandated in certain public spaces.

Sony faces the decision to either push back the release in theaters or sell to a streaming service. Full theatrical releases for family movies may not be the best financial decision for companies like Sony Pictures which do not have streaming service assets. Sony has already sold several animated films to Netflix in the past year and a half.

Some other companies have been able to release their films solely on their own streaming service or through a hybrid release in theaters. Disney, for example, has been able to release its films on Disney+ for a $30 viewing fee. The difference in ownership of distribution for these companies will likely become of greater importance moving forward as releases via streaming services become more popular.

While the recent reopening of theaters has been helpful for production companies for film releases in general, family films will continue to be more complicated for releases. Hybrid releases have been useful in some cases, but may not be great for family films with restrictions in theaters. Companies must continue to explore the best ways to utilize streaming services for releases.