Universal‘s Trolls World Tour has scored the biggest debut for a digital movie release ever; here’s what its actual numbers probably look like. A sequel to the studio and DreamWorks Animation‘s 2016 animated jukebox musical adaptation of the Troll dolls, Trolls World Tour was originally scheduled to open in theaters around the world this month. However, as more and more theater chains shut down until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic, Universal made the bold choice to release it straight to streaming, instead.
In truth, Universal has wanted to try an early VOD release and forgo a theatrical run with its films since as far back as 2011’s Tower Heist. And while they decided to go ahead and use the COVID-19 outbreak as an excuse to finally give this model a shot, the vast majority of 2020 movies delayed by the virus have either been rescheduled for a future theatrical release date or are expected to be in the future. All the same, industry analysts have kept a close eye on Trolls World Tour since it released last Friday (April 10), based on the possibility its performance could have an impact on how movies are distributed after the coronavirus has been brought under control.
In an official press release, Universal announced Trolls World Tour had the biggest opening day and weekend ever for a digital movie release, bringing in ten times as much as the studio’s previous biggest opening day for a “traditional digital release”. The Universal film in question (per Deadline) is Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which reportedly took in $2-3 million in its first day of domestic digital release. Based on these numbers, the Trolls sequel is projected to easily surpass Avengers: Endgame‘s known $30 million take from its initial week of digital rentals in the U.S.
For comparison’s sake, the original Trolls opened with $46.5 million at the U.S. box office in November 2016 and went on to bring in $347 million worldwide. Universal refrained from releasing firm numbers in its press release about the sequel, saying “We will wait for a clearer picture of results that will emerge in the coming weeks before sharing additional statistics.” Indeed, it’s probably best to hold off on declaring Trolls World Tour a success or failure until the film’s long-term performance has been revealed. Even if the sequel made as much as $30 million in its first day of digital release (based on what Universal is saying), it could depreciate must faster than if it had premiered in theaters with a similar take.
Whatever happens with Trolls World Tour, it’s unlikely to have an immediate effect on the larger industry and how films are released moving forward. The Trolls sequel is an unusual case; its budget ($90-100 million) is far less than those for other animated tentpoles (March’s Onward, for example, cost upwards of $200 million), and Universal has already signed deals with various digital platforms to ensure its profitability. Combined with the fact more people are watching it because they’re staying home to prevent further spread of the coronavirus and Trolls World Tour‘s early numbers alone aren’t enough to indicate this model would work for bigger-budgeted movies post-COVID-19. No doubt, Hollywood will be forever changed by the pandemic, but it’s better to wait for some firmer data before jumping to conclusions about what this all means.