Universal announced Monday that “Trolls World Tour” landed the biggest debut for a digital release after the animated sequel launched last weekend on premium video on demand and in a handful of drive-in cinemas. It’s the first film from a major studio to break the traditional theatrical window and open simultaneously on home entertainment platforms since the coronavirus pandemic forced movie theaters to close.
The studio declined to provide any statistics to contextualize or support the superlative, but noted that “Trolls World Tour” is the No. 1 title across major on-demand video platforms, including Amazon, Comcast, Apple and FangandoNow. Universal also said the film had the biggest opening day and weekend for a digital title, generating approximately 10 times more than the next-largest traditional premium home video release.
FandangoNow backed up that benchmark, announcing that “Trolls World Tour” generated the best weekend sales in the history of the streaming service.
“Following weeks of anticipation for its home premiere, ‘Trolls World Tour’ is now FandangoNow’s streaming debut champ, with the best preorders, first day and opening weekend sales we’ve ever seen,” FandangoNow head Cameron Douglas said in a statement. “We’re pleased that families looking for a much-needed entertainment break are enjoying DreamWorks Animation’s latest movie on our service.”
“Trolls World Tour,” based on the popular toys and featuring the voices of Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick, is a follow-up to 2016’s animated musical. Almost every major Hollywood movie that was set to debut through early summer has been delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent closure of movie theaters. However, Universal opted to keep the release date for “Trolls World Tour” despite almost all cinemas, aside from about 20 drive-in locations, being indefinitely shuttered. The decision was partially because the studio was deep into its marketing campaign for the film, which included multiple brand partnerships, and it would have been too costly to shelve it for a later date.
Home entertainment figures aren’t reported in the same fashion as traditional box office grosses. Sources at Universal note that comparable data is difficult given the unprecedented move, so the studio plans to wait for a clearer picture of results over the next few weeks before disclosing more specific statistics.
Universal also said Monday that the studio’s titles made available in the home early, such as Blumhouse’s “The Invisible Man” and “The Hunt,” and Focus Features’ “Emma,” continue to be well embraced as families stay home due to social distancing measures.
It’s unclear if “Trolls World Tour,” which was available starting last Friday to rent for 48 hours for $19.99, will make as much money on premium digital platforms as it would have in theaters followed by home entertainment. The film cost $100 million to produce, and tens of millions more in global marketing fees.
That means if “Trolls World Tour” hopes to turn a profit, the cartoon musical adventure will have to keep rocking on TV sets for some time.