While screenings of "Bond 25: Dead or Alive" and "Wild Speed 9" may be canceled due to coronavirus concerns, not all films will be canceled due to this dangerous infection While local movie theaters are closing, NBCUniversal has announced that the Universal Pictures film will be released on video-on-demand at the same time it was supposed to be released in theaters

The Hollywood Reporter quoted NBCU CEO Jeff Shell as saying, "At this challenging time, given the rapid evolution and unprecedented changes in consumers' daily lives, we thought now was the right time to offer this option not only in movie theaters, but also in the home We thought it was the right time to offer this option not only in movie theaters, but also in the home"

"NBCUniversal will continue to evaluate the environment as circumstances change and determine the best distribution strategy for each market as current unique circumstances change," Shell continued in a statement

The films will be released on "various on-demand services for a 48-hour rental period" The price in the US will be $1999, with no word on how much it will cost in international markets

Future releases affected by this include "Trolls World Tour," which is scheduled for release on April 10

This new policy does not apply to the company's entire catalog or to its entire 2020 lineup This is the next most logical step in response to this weekend's North American box office low in the past 20 years, as THR reports Universal's current theatrical releases, including Emma and The Invisible Man (two films we planned to see before tickets were cancelled at the box office), will hit VOD as early as this Friday, March 20

New York and Los Angeles were the first cities in which local governments widely passed decrees to close movie theaters But the change was inevitable since the Centers for Disease Control recently recommended that people avoid gathering more than 50 people in one place