As of Roma in 2018, Netflix began a practice of giving its films a three-week limited release before they become available on the service, which is still shorter than standard.
[27] As promotional campaigns and tie-ins for the film (including corporate synergy across the properties of Universal parent company NBCUniversal) were already in progress, it would have been difficult to cleanly postpone its release.
[47][48][49] In September 2021, Disney announced that it would switch back to theatrical-only releases for the remainder of its 2021 slate, citing the successful performance of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
[53][54] In 2022, Universal shifted several of its films to simultaneous releases on NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock, such as Marry Me, Firestarter, Halloween Ends, and Honk for Jesus.
[55][56][57][58] Advocates of simultaneous releases argue that they promote consumer choice, by allowing viewers to choose how and when they want to watch a film, especially if they do not have access to a cinema.
"[23] In April 2019, Steven Spielberg similarly stated that "everyone should have access to great stories", and that they should be able to "find their entertainment in any form or fashion that suits them".
[59][60] Film industry figures have argued that simultaneous releases can dilute box office revenue, and detract from the communal experience of movie-going.
[2][3][61] Following the announcement of Bubble's simultaneous release, M. Night Shyamalan stated that the distributor's plans were "heartless and soulless and disrespectful", and argued that cable and internet companies needed to "wait their turn".
In November 2018, Italy's Minister of Culture Alberto Bonisoli announced that the industry's 105-day window between theatrical and streaming releases of a film (usually enforced via gentleman's agreement) would be enshrined in law.
[75] The studio later agreed to allow AMC a cut of revenue from premium VOD rentals in exchange for a 17-day minimum on the theatrical window.
[76] In March 2021, Disney CEO Bob Chapek argued that the shifts in distribution models for films would likely become permanent, as consumers had become "impatient" and have "had the luxury of an entire year of getting titles at home pretty much when they want them", but that "we certainly don't want to do anything like cut the legs off a theatrical exhibition run.