The DCEU movie The Flash is on course to establish a new record for streaming releases among DC films.
While the initial pandemic-driven trend saw simultaneous theater and streaming releases, a recent change has led to a resurgence of lengthier theatrical-to-streaming windows. The movie industry witnessed a recent example of the trend with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which debuted on Universal's streaming platform Peacock 120 days after its theatrical release, a record The Flash is now set to outdo (per The Direct).
The Flash Slows Down With Its Journey to Streaming on Max
With its disastrous box office performance placing it among the biggest box office bombs in cinematic history, anticipation for The Flash's release on Max has only grown stronger. Despite this, Warner Bros. made the unusual decision to withhold the streaming release of the movie. The absence of The Flash from the list of new arrivals on Max for August has fueled speculations even further. As of this writing, a notable 54 days will have elapsed since the film's theatrical debut. By the time September starts, the film will be up to 77 days with no arrival on Max this month. This extended timeframe firmly establishes The Flash as a strong contender for the longest waiting period on Max since its inception.
The extended window raises questions about the delay compared to other recent DC releases that experienced swift streaming transitions. Both Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad, along with other Warner Bros. releases in 2021, arrived on Max simultaneously with their theatrical premieres. Warner Bros.' original plan was to launch The Flash on Max during the fall, officially commencing on September 23. If this timeline holds, the theatrical-to-streaming window for The Flash will span at least 99 days.
The reason behind the prolonged wait might be traced back to the movie's lackluster box office performance. Since The Flash earned only $268 million globally, putting it on a course to cost Warner Bros. approximately $200 million in losses, the financial setback potentially motivated the studio's decision to allow the film some breathing room after its home release, enabling it to recuperate some of the incurred losses. To the studio's delight, The Flash topped the VOD charts and did manage to recover some of the lost profits.
The fall release of The Flash on Max is expected to take place in late September or early October, positioning it ahead of the final DC movie of the year as well as the final entry in the DCEU, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is set to release in December.
The Flash can be purchased or rented digitally and will arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on Aug. 29.
Source: The Direct