Universal Pictures will make new releases available for On Demand immediately

Current movies from the Universal Pictures stable, including the upcoming family film, Trolls World Tour, will be made available on demand at the same time they hit the theatres that remain open during the coronavirus pandemic, NBCUniversal has confirmed.

The new policy collapses the traditional theatrical window as the film industry grapples with unprecedented circumstances. Cinemas are entirely closed in 32 or more markets overseas and partially closed in another 15 territories, while more countries are expected to follow suit.

Most, if not all, cinemas are likely to ‘go dark’ this week in the US, where theatres have already been ordered to go dark in New York City and Los Angeles. Other locales are also seeing closures, while circuits staying open are starting to limit capacity to 50 people per auditorium per new CDC guidelines.

Movies will be made available on a wide variety of on-demand services for a 48-hour rental period at a suggested retail price of $19.99 in the US and the price equivalent in international markets. The announcement was made by NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell. Insiders say it isn’t a blanket policy for the studio’s entire 2020 calendar and that decisions regarding other titles and the duration of the policy haven’t been made yet.

The studio is hoping to provide options for consumers who cannot or should not go to cinemas.

“Given the rapidly evolving and unprecedented changes to consumers’ daily lives during this difficult time, the company felt that now was the right time to provide this option in the home as well as in theatres. NBCUniversal will continue to evaluate the environment as conditions evolve and will determine the best distribution strategy in each market when the current unique situation changes,” read the company’s release.

“Universal Pictures has a broad and diverse range of movies with 2020 being no exception. Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an option for people to view these titles in the home that is both accessible and affordable.

“We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theatres where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible.”

The on-demand release of Trolls World Tour will benefit from the full arsenal of a marketing campaign already underway, including Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky’s cross-company Symphony support, which will be in full effect, according to the studio.

Posh Paws launches its DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls World Tour collection

Posh Paws has officially launched its latest licensed plush line, a new collection inspired by DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming feature film, Trolls World Tour.

Scheduled to premiere here in the UK on April 13th this year, Trolls World Tour is the much anticipated sequel to the 2016 blockbuster hit Trolls, and will see Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake reprise their roles as Poppy and Branch among a cast of big names including Ozzy Osbourne and Gwen Stefani.

Posh Paws’ official movie plush line features fan-favourite Trolls characters including Poppy, Branch and Tiny Diamond the glitter hip-hop troll, while new faces such as Queen Barb, the leader of the Rock Trolls have been added to the cast.

As with all Posh Paws products, each character is recreated in soft fabrics with a variety of price points that are ideal for fans to enjoy whatever the occasion, from pocket money treats through to a favourite birthday gift.

Lauren Shipman, group brand and marketing director, said: “We are extremely proud of our new Trolls World Tour Plush collection. DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls are incredibly popular and with these new characters we expect this will be a standout collection for Posh Paws and our retail partners this year.”