Straight from Hollywood

Sheetal

When the Fast and Furious franchise postponed the release of the ninth installment from May 22, 2020 to April 2, 2021, it disappointed many, considering that the trailer was already out. The makers were ready to wait rather than suffering a loss.

But now that the wait seems endless and digital platforms and third-party steamers are more than willing to make Hollywood movies available for public during such troubled times, the makers of many big and medium budget Hollywood projects are willing to take the digital route.

Here’s a list of Hollywood’s films which have been launched on various OTT platforms.

Love is in the air

The Lovebirds

The first one to be launched digitally, Paramount’s romantic crime comedy, The Lovebirds, is available on Netflix. It stars Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae and is a mid-budget movie that was scheduled to release in theatres on April 3.

If you have liked Date Night, starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell, or the more recent Game Night, then you would love this romantic adventure.

Chinese offer

Mulan

Based on Chinese folklore The Ballad of Mulan, this film is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated movie of the same name. While the Hollywood premiere was held on March 9, but following the Covid outbreak, the worldwide theatrical release got delayed multiple times only to be finally acquired by Disney+. The movie will be available on Disney+ on September 4. It stars Liu Yifei in the title role, alongside Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Gong Li, and Jet Li in supporting roles.

Aye Aye Captain

Greyhound

Based on true events of World War II, Greyhound has Tom Hanks portraying the role of Captain Ernest Krause, who led an international convoy of 37 ships on a treacherous mission across the Atlantic to deliver thousands of soldiers and much needed supplies to the Allied forces. It is now exclusively available on Apple TV+.

After a grand show

Boys State

Sundance Film Festival in January witnessed the world premiere of Boys State, where it also won the US Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize. The makers have sold its distribution rights to Apple since theatres are not an option during this pandemic. Directed and produced by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, the film captures an unusual passage of thousand teenage boys attending Boys State in Texas, coming to build a representative government. It got its digital release on August 14.

An adventurous journey

Artemis Fowl

Initially scheduled for a theatrical release on May 29, the movie is now available on Disney+ Hotstar Premium. It is an American sci-fi adventure film based on a novel written by Irish author Eoin Colfer. It captures the adventures of Artemis Fowl II, a 12-year-old Irish prodigy, who teams up with a servant, a dwarf and a fairy in order to rescue his father.