Warner Bros. bumping up ‘Birds of Prey’ home release amid COVID-19 pandemic

Warner Bros. Pictures(LOS ANGELES) — If you’re bored with social distancing rules stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, at least you’ll have more stuff to watch at home. 

Warner Bros. has announced its film Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey being bumped forward for home release and digital streaming.  The Margot Robbie Suicide Squad spin-off will now be available for purchase on streaming platforms for $19.99 on March 24, Variety reports — far earlier than previously planned.

The film, formerly known as Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), is technically still playing in theaters, but with many theater chains limiting sales and closing altogether in some cities over coronavirus concerns, this is a way for WB to generate some money for a film that underperformed during its theatrical run. 

Warner Bros. is joining Universal Pictures in this streaming strategy.  With theater traffic throttling back, Universal just announced that its film Trolls World Tour, which wasn’t set to open until April 10, as well as the recently released pictures The HuntThe Invisible Man and Emma, will each be released for purchase via on-demand services for $19.99.

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