Update: Watch the first trailer here.

One star is responsible for bringing in over $1 billion in the box office this year alone; the other is part of one of Hollywood’s hottest franchises, The Hunger Games. So why is their next film skipping a theatrical release altogether? We’ll have to find out on September 3rd, when Lionsgate is bringing the Dwayne Johnson and Liam Hemsworth-led title Empire State straight to Blu-ray/DVD.

Described as “a drama centered on two childhood friends who plan to rob an armored car depository, and the NYPD officer who stands in their way,” if one digs a little deeper, some possible reasons for the release come to the surface. Director Dito Montiel, who broke out with the acclaimed A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, had a rough go-around with his last effort. Despite starring Channing Tatum, Al Pacino, Juliette Binoche and Ray Liotta, his cop drama The Son of No One ended up grossing a measly $30,680 following a disastrous screening at Sundance.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised that even with a bankable cast, his latest work is forgoing a proper release, but hopefully we can expect more details to arrive soon, along with a trailer. Also starring Emma Roberts, Nikki Reed, James Ransone and Michael Angarano, one thing is for sure: we’ll definitely be tuning into that director audio commentary on the Blu-ray.

Are you disappointed Empire State is skipping a theatrical release?

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