Paramount Pictures will no longer release The Lovebirds, starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, as originally planned and has placed the film with Netflix instead.
The Lovebirds was due out in theaters on April 3, but after theaters around the world have closed their doors in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the movie’s studio, Paramount, pulled the movie from theaters.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s not known at this time when The Lovebirds is set to debut on Netflix.
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Paramount has sent its movies to Netflix before, namely 2018’s Annihilation (internationally) and The Cloverfield Paradox, but in those instances, it wasn’t due to an ongoing pandemic or theater closings.
While The Lovebirds is unique in that it’s heading to Netflix, it’s not the first movie to see an early release to homes around the world as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Paramount announced on Friday, March 20, that Sonic would be getting an early digital release on March 31. The studio has already pulled its theatrical releases for A Quiet Place II and Blue Story.
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Disney is releasing Pixar’s Onward on-demand tonight and the movie is coming to Disney+ on April 3. In a world void of COVID-19, Onward would likely have still been in theaters on April 3. Warner Bros’ Birds of Prey is coming to on-demand on March 24 and Universal is releasing Trolls World Tour on-demand on April 10, the movie’s original theatrical date. The company has already put The Invisible Man, Emma, and The Hunt on-demand.
And for more on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, here are some ways you can help others and stay safe during the COVID-19 crisis.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Source: IGN.com Paramount Shifts The Lovebirds Release to Netflix