In a first, a Universal Pictures movie – The Boss Baby: Family Business — will debut simultaneously in theaters and on sister streaming service Peacock Premium.
The animated film will now be made available to audiences on July 2, in time for Fourth of July fireworks. It was previously set to hit the big screen on Sept. 17, followed by a debut on premium VOD sometime in October.
The news was revealed in a joint statement from Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Peacock, and follows similar moves made by Disney and WarnerMedia to grow Disney+ and HBO+ subscribers, respectively, while the box office attempts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The family film will be made available to Peacock Premium customers at no extra charge.
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Theater owners can opt whether or not to carry Boss Baby 2. The film is a sequel to the hit 2017 DreamWorks Animation original The Boss Baby.
The sequel will begin its international theatrical rollout in select markets timed to the North American release on July 2.
“Families are at the heart of our decision today to make DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby: Family Business available to everyone this July Fourth weekend, and to give those families the freedom to choose whether to see this joyful, hilarious and heartfelt film from a big-screen theater seat or from the comfort of their own homes on Peacock,” Universal Pictures president Jim Orr said in a statement.
Added NBCUniversal Direct-to-Consumer and International chairman Matt Strauss, “DreamWorks Animation films, from Trolls World Tour to Shrek and beyond are among Peacock’s top performing titles to date, and we’re certain that The Boss Baby: Family Business is sure to become this summer’s ultimate streaming event.”
Since April 2020, more than 42 million customers have signed up for the fledgling Peacock service, per NBCUniversal.
Boss Baby 2‘s voice cast includes Alec Baldwin, James Marsden, Eva Longoria, Amy Sedaris, Ariana Greenblatt, Jeff Goldblum, Lisa Kudrow and Jimmy Kimmel.
