Netflix is finalizing a deal to take over The Woman In The Window.
The film was originally produced by 20th Century Studios. The Amy Adams-fronted thriller should have premiered in theaters back in May.
Netflix did not suggest a new release date for the film. However, since it is fully completed it could be ready to stream at any time.
Why the shift?
It seems once again all roads lead back to COVID-19.
The pandemic has forced a number of entertainment industry shakeups, from production delays to theater closures. 20th Century Studios planned a May theatrical release for The Woman in the Window. With many theaters closed worldwide due to the pandemic, that release date wasn’t feasible. That left the studio with two options: push the theatrical release to a later date, or send the film straight to streaming instead.
While many studios have opted to push back theatrical release dates, it’s a temporary solution to an ongoing problem. No one knows when theaters will be widely reopened. And when they do finally open, all of the films that have been delayed since March will be vying for their new release slot. In other words, the theatrical release market is already overcrowded. (And the problem only gets worse with every passing week.)
That leaves streaming as the next viable option. But Disney owns 20th Century Studios, which means the streaming platform Disney+. As an adult thriller, The Woman in the Window doesn’t really fit the Disney+ image. It makes sense that Disney would try to cut its losses with the film and sign a Netflix deal instead.
About The Woman in the Window
The film is based on the book of the same name by A.J. Finn. The premise sounds like The Girl on the Train meets Hitchcock’s Rear Window.
Adams plays Anna Fox, an agoraphobic child psychologist. Fox lives alone after her phobia caused her to separate from her husband and daughter. She spends her days watching old movies and spying on her neighbors. Then everything changes when she witnesses an act of violence next door. But since she’s struggling with prescription drugs and alcohol, can she really trust what she’s seen?
Joe Wright (Hanna, Pride & Prejudice) directed the film. Anthony Mackie, Julianne Moore, and Gary Oldman also star alongside Adams.
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Source: Deadline
