Universal apparently has more faith in Tower Heist than the rest of us; THR reports that the studio is using the Brett Ratner comedy to test out a new VOD release plan that further shrinks the theatrical window. If you’re one of the 500,000 Comcast subscribers in Atlanta or Portland, you’ll get access to the movie on demand a mere three weeks after its theatrical release. But such a short window has its price; if you want to watch it from the comfort of your home that quickly, it’ll run you 59.99.
Studios trying to shrink the theatrical window is nothing new; earlier this year, DirectTV started a premium VOD. service for its subscribers where they could rent movies 60 days after released into theaters for the price of 29.99. From what I’ve been able to gather, it hasn’t been the most successful of ideas; yes, the convenience is nice and if you have a large family it could be beneficial, but that’s still a big chunk of change to rent something.
I really, really doubt this will be an easy sell, unless it turns out to be one of the funniest movies ever made (don’t count on that). Still, the idea of shortening the theatrical window is an interesting one and I do think that’s where we’re headed; they just need to find a price point that won’t make people scoff and recoil.
Tower Heist hits theaters November 4th, 2011 and the VOD test will begin November 25, 2011. Thanksgiving Weekend to be exact, when you have your whole family together. Maybe they’re onto something after all…
Would you pay 60 bucks to see Tower Heist on demand? As far as premium VOD goes, what’s the price point that would entice you?