© A24
A24’s The Green Knight will make its virtual debut much earlier than expected — on August 18th, you’ll be able to buy a $20 ticket to stream the film through A24’s Screening Room platform.
The one-night-only stream isn’t a full streaming release for rental or purchase, given that The Green Knight is still otherwise exclusive to theaters. (A regular digital release will come later on in the theatrical cycle.)
As such, the screening is also far more limited than a typical rental: once you’ve purchased a $20 ticket, you’ll be able to stream the film during a four-hour window on August 18th starting at 9PM ET. The stream does come with a bonus Q&A with the cast and crew after the film, however.
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Based on the classic epic poem, The Green Knight stars Dev Patel as the would-be knight who answers an ill-fated challenge to the titular Green Knight on Christmas day. The film was originally planned for a May 29th, 2020 release, but was delayed until this summer due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Once you’ve bought a ticket, A24 offers three ways to watch the film: through a web browser, through the Apple TV app, or through the Roku app. Unfortunately, though, A24 is only screening The Green Knight for US viewers — international film fans won’t be able to join.
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The move marks the latest blurring of the line between theatrical and streaming releases. At $20, the price of a streaming ticket is comparable to seeing The Green Knight in theaters (especially if shared with multiple friends or family members), with the added bonus that A24 won’t have to share that ticket price with theaters. It’s a similar balancing act that has driven moves like Disney Plus’ Premiere Access films, which have offered the option of simultaneous $30 digital purchases and theatrical releases for films like Black Widow or Jungle Cruise. HBO Max has also taken a similar approach, offering simultaneous digital debuts for its 2020 slate at no extra cost to streaming subscribers alongside theatrical debuts.
