With social distancing so vitally important to keeping yourself, your family, and the rest of the people around you safe, it's not the smartest idea to go live our lives as we normally would, and that includes not partaking in some of my favorite hobbies like live concerts or going to the movie theater. Thankfully, the entertainment industry is working overtime to keep everyone from becoming too bored while stuck at home. In a surprise move, production companies like Warner Brothers, Sony, and Universal have decided to forego traditional release timelines and move several new movies to digital retailers early. This not only includes movies that had a planned digital release in a few weeks but also includes movies that have not even reached theaters yet!
The mix of movies being released early is pretty varied too, so there's something for your household whether it's just you and your significant other watching, a few kids, or the whole family. Now, it's important to be aware that some of these films are only available to rent at this time, and the rental price of $19.99 is quite a bit higher than we're used to seeing on digital rentals. Of course, when you consider how much movie tickets and concessions like popcorn and soda would cost you at a movie theater, digitally is likely a more affordable way to watch these films.
As always with iTunes rentals, you'll have 30 days to begin watching the film after making the purchase. Once you've started watching the movie, you'll have 48 hours to finish the film. After that point, it'll be removed from your account.
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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The end to Disney's latest Star Wars trilogy has arrived to digital retailers a few days early. Previously scheduled for release on March 17, the movie was made available on iTunes and other retailers beginning March 13 to combat at-home boredom.
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Onward
In more surprising news, Disney announced earlier this monring that its newest film collaboration with Pixar will be coming to digital retailers later tonight at 8pm EST. Onward only recently premiered in theaters on March 6, and if you're not willing to pay the small price of $19.99 to buy the film outright, you can wait until April 3 to catch the movie streaming on Disney+.
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Frozen 2
Disney+ members are in for a treat, as Frozen 2 has hit the streaming service three months before its planned release date! It's available to watch now with an active membership so you can catch up on the latest adventures of Anna, Elsa, and Olaf the snowman. The film is now also available for purchase or rental via iTunes.
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The Invisible Man
Based on the classic novel The Invissible Man by H.G. Wells, this reboot of the 1930s film series stars The Handmaiden's Tale actress Elizabeth Moss as a woman who, after the apparent suicide of her husband, starts to believe he's stalking her and has become invisible. The film was released to theaters on February 28 and is already available to rent at iTunes.
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The Hunt
This controversial film by producers Damon Lindelof and Jason Blum was originally scheduled for release last September and then pushed to March 13. If you didn't get a chance to catch it in theaters before quarantine, it's made its way to digital retailers just one week later. You can now rent the film at iTunes and see if it lives up to all the drama it sparked.
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Emma
Based on Jane Austen's novel of the same name, Emma was released to theaters on February 21 and has quite a high Rotten Tomatoes score of 85%. Now it's available digitally on iTunes to rent for just $19.99.
Coming Soon
Trolls World Tour
This is one all the kids have been waiting for, but sadly it's not available just yet. Trolls World Tour is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 10, though it'll be receiving a simultaneous digital release on that day so you can watch the film at home with your family and jam to all the new tunes by Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, and other celebs.
Coming Soon
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn
Don't let the recent string of DC film letdowns keep you from checking out this film. It features some great action choreography, a pretty zany plot, and a group of kick-ass women who you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of. It's set to be made available for digital purchase beginning Tuesday, March 24. You can pre-order now.
Coming Soon
Bloodshot
Bloodshot, starring Vin Diesel, hit theaters just last weekend, though if you didn't get a chance to see it then, it's coming to iTunes and other digital retailers this coming Tuesday, March 24. It's intended to be the first in a series of films based on the iconic comic books, so don't skip out on seeing this one if you want future films to be made!
How to watch
Not accustomed to using iTunes? What you might not know is that now that the Apple TV app is around, you can watch any movies or shows you purchase on iTunes using it. The app is available on more than just iOS devices, so you can download it to an Amazon Fire TV Stick or a Roku Streaming Device, and those are just two of the most popular options.