New Feature: When To Stream’s Weekly Tracking Report
Welcome to our new feature: When To Stream’s Weekly Tracking Report. Every Friday, we’ll break down the film titles whose first window streaming premieres are still not confirmed. This column will not examine second window SVOD premieres, though we’ll obviously still be tracking and reporting those.
One note: There are hundreds of new films every year, and we’re not able to track or highlight every single one. For now, we concentrate on major studio and indie distributor releases. If there are titles you’d like us to track, let us know in the comments. We’ll do our best to follow up, but might not have the bandwidth to spotlight fully.
Here are the film titles (in order of theatrical release) we are currently tracking:
Theatrical Launch Date: April 14, 2023
Tracking: Anime titles have very long theatrical-exclusive windows, as they are particularly susceptible to pirating. Suzume just received a re-release in theaters on 10/27, so we’re hoping a streaming date will be announced soon.
PVOD Estimate: November 2023
Theatrical Release Date: July 14, 2023
Tracking: The DVD will release on November 28, 2023. We’re waiting to see if a PVOD release is concurrent, or if PBS will wait until it airs as part of their Frontline series.
PVOD Estimate: Late November 2023
Theatrical Release Date: July 28, 2023
Tracking: Similar to Suzume, another anime title whose theatrical to streaming window will be longer than usual. Tough to call, but we don’t anticipate it’ll hit streaming until early 2024.
PVOD Estimate: February/March 2024
Theatrical Release Date: September 22, 2023
Tracking: A theatrical re-release, so we’re not anticipating it’ll return to streaming until the holidays. The 4K Blu-ray will make a great gift!
PVOD Estimate: December 2023
Theatrical Release Date: September 29, 2023
Tracking: We’re hopeful a streaming announcement is coming soon. Will be interesting to see if 20th Century/Disney decides to release this on Hulu day-and-date. Still no landing page on Hulu. We’re estimating it’ll be available in time for Thanksgiving.
PVOD Estimate: Mid/Late November, 2023
Theatrical Release Date: October 4, 2023
Tracking: Sony Pictures Classic is one of the last distributors that still regularly adheres to a three-month theatrical exclusive window. IT AIN’T OVER and SHORTCOMINGS we exceptions, but we see no indication that Almodovar’s short film is coming anytime soon.
PVOD Estimate: January 2024
Theatrical Release Date: October 6, 2023
Tracking: Not much of a track record from distributor Rialto Pictures, as they usually focus on 4K restorations of classic cinema. Not yet up for pre-order, we’re in the dark on this one.
PVOD Estimate: December 2023
Theatrical Release Date: October 13, 2023
Tracking: Another wildcard, as the film does not have a traditional distributor. We can’t imagine it won’t be available in one form or another in time for the holidays. Whether that PVOD or SVOD, we’ll have to wait and see.
PVOD/SVOD Estimate: Late December 2023
Theatrical Release Date: October 13, 2023
Tracking: This one is up for pre-order on digital release sites. We think NEON will pattern their release after last year’s Triangle of Sadness, which stayed a theatrical exclusive for about six weekends, then arrived for sale-only on PVOD.
PVOD Estimate: Late November 2023
Theatrical Release Date: October 13, 2023
Tracking: A National Geographic release that has Oscar aspirations. If it makes the short-list of documentary finalists, look for it on Disney+ during awards season.
PVOD/SVOD Estimate: January 2024
Theatrical Release Date: October 20, 2023
Tracking: Our forecast, for now, still remains the same.
SVOD Estimate: December 8, 2023
Theatrical Release Date: October 18, 2023
Tracking: Distributor MUBI has been pretty consistent with their theatrical windows, so we expect a similar release pattern to their recent PASSAGES.
PVOD/SVOD Estimate: Mid-December 2023
Theatrical Release Date: October 20, 2023
Tracking: A Sony Classics title, so it’ll be a while. Unless it surprises with a Shortcomings-style one-month window, we’re thinking early 2024.
PVOD Estimate: January 2024
Theatrical Release Date: October 27, 2023
Tracking: We’re expecting the usual 18-day window after the film opens wide on 11/10. Expect the usual grumblings (as there was with ASTEROID CITY) when the date is announced. But it’s clearly working for Focus/Universal, or they’d change their strategy.
PVOD Estimate: November 28, 2023
Theatrical Release Date: October 27, 2023
Tracking: Depending on how the film performs when it goes wide this weekend, we’ll have a clearer picture of A24’s streaming strategy. Our hunch is that we’ll see it on digital in time for Christmas.
PVOD Estimate: Early/Mid December 2023
Theatrical Release Date: October 27, 2023
Tracking: It’s an Angel Studios release, so we’re expecting a similar window to their summer blockbuster SOUND OF FREEDOM.
PVOD Estimate: Late February 2024
Theatrical Release Date: October 27, 2023
Tracking: Like Sony Classics, Kino Lorber usually gives their films plenty of time to expand across the country. Look for this one to hit digital in early 2024.
PVOD Estimate: January 2024
Theatrical Release Date: November 3, 2023
Tracking: This one’s up for pre-sale (with a premium price-point), so we’re confident Bleecker Street will launch on digital sooner rather than later.
PVOD Estimate: November 28, 2023
Theatrical Release Date: November 3, 2023
Tracking: This critical acclaimed A24 release is getting fantastic reviews, but will likely struggle to pull an audience. We’re thinking this will be fast-tracked to digital, where it will have a better chance to take advantage of the good press.
PVOD Estimate: Late November 2023
Theatrical Release Date: November 3, 2023
Tracking: Roadside Attractions’ docs usually have a 45-day theatrical window, so we’re estimating this will reach digital next month.
PVOD Estimate: Mid-December 2023
Theatrical Release Date: November 3, 2023
Tracking: This one’s already priced for PVOD in pre-orders, so the theatrical window is likely short.
PVOD Estimate: November 28, 2023
Theatrical Release Date: November 3, 2023
Tracking: This one is tough to track, as the distributor (Miercoles Entertainment) is new to us. We’re going with a standard 45-day window.
PVOD Estimate: Late December 2023
We’ll add new theatrical releases to the tracking report every week!
