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Freaky director Christopher Landon slams Halloween Ends’ streaming release date, criticizing studios for not giving horror films a box office chance.
As the film makes its way to Peacock, Freaky director Christopher Landon slams Halloween Ends‘ same-day streaming release model. The 2020 horror-comedy marked the latest genre-blending effort of the Happy Death Day director, swapping out time loops for a body-swapping story about a serial killer and shy teenage girl inadvertently switching their bodies. Led by Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn, Freaky debuted to largely positive reviews from critics and modest box office returns, bringing in just over $16 million against its $6 million production budget.
Halloween Ends marks the final chapter in David Gordon Green and Danny McBride’s reboot trilogy, picking up a few years after its predecessor as Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode finds herself pitted against Michael Myers for one final time. Much like Halloween Kills before it, Universal Pictures elected to give the film a simultaneous theatrical and streaming release on Peacock for 60 days before eventually being released onto VOD platforms. Halloween Ends debuted this weekend to largely mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, and one horror genre vet isn’t feeling confident about the film’s box office potential.
On the heels of the film’s release, Christopher Landon took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Halloween Ends‘ streaming release model. The Freaky director slammed the decision to debut the movie on both Peacock and in theaters, recalling how the studio’s decision to do so with his film shortly after its theatrical releases ultimately hurt its box office chances. See what Landon explained above:
How Streaming Hurt Halloween & Freaky’s Box Offices
Given Halloween Kills garnered just over $131 million against its $20 million production budget, it’s understandable Universal may have felt confident in giving Halloween Ends a simultaneous streaming and theatrical release. Though Thursday night showings for the latter film saw it top its predecessor, the overall weekend projections for Halloween Ends are putting it below the 2021 movie. While it has already garnered its $20 million production budget back, it will be interesting to see if the film’s streaming release and the poor reviews keep it from performing as well as the last film.
Unlike Halloween Ends, however, Freaky did enjoy strong reviews from critics and audiences alike, but didn’t take off in the same way at the box office, having been released just months after theaters attempted to bounce back from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Though it was still ultimately a success on VOD, it’s understandable Landon would still look back in frustration about the film’s early digital release rather than get a larger chance at the box office. Only time will tell how the film performs in the coming weeks now that Halloween Ends is in theaters and streaming on Peacock.
Source: Christopher Landon/Twitter
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