In a welcome win for cinemas, Universal Pictures has confirmed it will extend its theatrical window in 2027 to 45 days – the equivalent of seven weekends.
Following the pandemic, the studio adopted the shortest window between theatrical and VOD releases of all major studios, with just a 17-day window for films that opened to less than $50 million and 31 days for those that opened above it.
Today, The New York Times reported that the studio guarantees cinemas at least 5 weekends of exclusive play, before shifting to 45 days, starting from January 2027. The first of their films to see the longer theatrical window will be The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which releases in UK cinemas next month.
This change will bring Universal in line with the 45-day window adopted by Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures for many of their releases, with Disney opting for 60 days.
The Chair of NBCUniversal Entertainment, Donna Langley, said: “Our windowing strategy has always been designed to evolve with the marketplace, but we firmly believe in the primacy of theatrical exclusivity and working closely with our exhibition partners to support a healthy, sustainable theatrical ecosystem.”
Universal remains a theatrical-first studio. That’s proven by the breadth of our slate, our commitment to our filmmakers and the ongoing investments we make in the creative community”, she added.
The news is a huge win for cinemas, as the introduction of streaming services and VOD have meant that many will opt to wait to watch new releases at home, rather than at their local cinema. Especially after the impact the COVID-19 pandemic left on entertainment, when cinemas are still 20% behind the pre-pandemic box office sales. With Universal Pictures set to have some major box-office releases this year, including Disclosure Day, The Odyssey and Minions and Monsters, this will be a welcome change.
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