Three weeks after the Brett Ratner directed movie Tower Heist reaches theaters the Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy starring film will be offered to customers through video on demand (VOD).
The movie will release on November 4 and then three weeks later customers will be able to rent the movie on their TV for a cost of $59.99.
The move comes after a similar decision to release movies as videos on demand two months after their theatrical debut for $30 causes an uproar among theater owners and filmmakers.
The studio promises that the new price ceiling is only a test and only Comcast customers in Atlana, GA and Portland, OR will be able to take advantage of the $60 test pricing at this time.
The planned maneuver is a simple way for Universal Pictures to do a quick cost/reward analysis to determine if VOD movies can earn more than movies at major theaters when released in short succession from the movies official premiere date.
While purchasing a $60 movie won’t make sense for everyone a large family with 3 or 4 children should be able to save money on admission and snacks given the recently astronomical price increases theaters have provided.
Would you be willing to drop $60 to watch a movie at home? While I appreciate movie studios attempting to find new revenue models the pricing seems a little bit steep, even for the best of movies.
