How to stream new movies when they premiere

With cinemas closed and social distancing forcing most people to stay in their homes, the movie industry is in a state of flux, prompting some studios to do the previously unthinkable: releasing films to stream at home early.

NBC Universal was the first to lead the charge, putting its current releases Emma, The Invisible Man, and The Hunt online early to rent. Disney has followed suit with an early release for Frozen 2 and Onward (though the latter is US-only so far), and it’s a safe bet that more studios will follow soon.

If you want to watch any of the films, you’ll be able to find them on most digital movie rental stores – for example we’ve so far found The Invisible Man on Sky, Virgin Media, Amazon Prime, and Google Play Store. Each of them will cost you £15.99/$19.99 for a 48-hour rental – so fairly pricey, but a bargain compared to taking a full family out to the cinema. They’re only available in HD though, with no 4K or HDR options.

Emma, The Invisible Man, and The Hunt are available to rent right now, while Trolls: World Tour will arrive on 6 April – the day that the movie would otherwise have premiered in cinemas.

Meanwhile Frozen 2 is now available on most of those same platforms but is also available to stream already as part of a Disney+ subscription, which is much cheaper at £5.99/$6.99 per month.

What remains to be seen is how many other films will receive similar treatment over the next few months. Expect to see smaller releases try the novel day-and-date digital release strategy, but bigger blockbusters will likely continue to be delayed (the likes of No Time to Die, Fast & the Furious 9 and Disney’s Mulan have already been pushed back) until cinemas open back up.

Remember as well that if you’re currently paying for the likes of Sky Sports you can pause their sports subscription and not be charged a fee to do so or be held to any notice period – read how to pause Sky Sports.