NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is taking a victory lap for the decision to debut Trolls World Tour on premium VOD instead of waiting for cinemas to reopen post-coronavirus pandemic, saying it could herald a permanent change in how Universal Pictures releases its movies.
Trolls World Tour racked up an estimated $100 million in on-demand rentals in its first three weeks of play in North America, more than enough to put the film on the road to profitability, according to the conglomerate.
That's not far behind the $116 million grossed by the original Trolls movie in its first three weeks at the 2016 domestic box office on its way to topping out at $153.7 million in the U.S.