Director Jeff Nichols' film The Bikeriders stars Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, Norman Reedus, and Jodie Comer. It tells the story of the motorcycle club Vandals MC in the 1960s Chicago. Based on the photo book by Danny Lyon, it premiered on June 21, 2024, earning $23.7 million on a $40 million budget. It will be available on VOD after 18 days.
According to ComicBook.com, The Bikeriders is set to be released on VOD on July 9th, 2024, a mere 18 days after its initial theatrical release. Despite receiving a commendable Rotten Tomatoes score of 81%, the film has encountered difficulties in attracting viewership in the face of high-budget productions such as Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Inside Out 2, and A Quiet Place: Day One. The film garnered $9.7 million during its opening weekend but experienced a substantial decline of 66% in the subsequent week, resulting in a modest intake of only $3.3 million.
The Bikeriders is one of many films releasing on VOD soon after theatrical premieres. The Watchers, Dakota Fanning's debut, had a budget of $30 million and earned $30.7 million after its release on June 7, 2024. It arrived at VOD just 21 days later, on June 28.
In the past, audiences had to endure a waiting period of around 90 days for a movie to become available on physical media for home viewing. This period was even longer for high-budget event films. However, the introduction of streaming and video-on-demand (VOD) services has significantly shortened this waiting time. Theatrical movies are now promptly accessible for rental or purchase on VOD platforms like Prime Video, much earlier than expected. Studios are employing this strategy to recover losses from underperforming movies at the box office.
The film "The Fall Guy" with Ryan Gosling went from theaters to video-on-demand in just 18 days. It has made $174 million so far, surpassing its $150 million budget, but it still needs to earn around $300 million to break even. Another example is "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," which premiered in theaters on May 24, 2024, and went to video-on-demand on June 24, only 31 days later.
Although it may be advantageous for individuals who prefer watching movies at home rather than spending money at the theater due to the escalating cost of living, it also contributes to the ongoing debate surrounding the perception that Hollywood lacks originality. Despite claims supporting this notion, it is often these very individuals who opt to stay home when innovative films such as The Bikeriders or The Watchers are released in theaters, consequently leading to their swift availability through video-on-demand services.
As this pattern persists, large studios are increasingly inclined to prioritize established intellectual properties over investing in aspiring filmmakers with innovative screenplays. Consequently, cinemas become saturated with reboots and sequels, as opposed to the original concepts that individuals fervently advocate for.