Although it was just released in theaters on August 19, Beast is now on demand. The film is available to rent on Premium VOD for $19.99 and can be purchased for $24.99. Beast stars Idris Elba and tells the story of a doctor trying to protect his two daughters from a rogue lion while visiting Africa. The film was a moderate commercial and critical success, grossing a bit over its budget and receiving a fresh score of 68 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Beast was released by Universal Pictures, and since Universal has an exclusive deal with Peacock allowing films to release as early as 45 days after their initial theatrical release, it seems like the action thriller will drop on the streaming service sooner rather than later.
Beast is directed by Baltasar Kormákur from a script by Ryan Engle. Kormákur is known for directing the films 2 Guns, Everest, and Adrift while Engle penned the scripts for the films Rampage and Breaking In. Jaime Primak Sullivan receives a story by credit. In addition to Elba, Beast stars Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, and Leah Jeffries. Beast is rated R by the MPA for violent content, bloody images and some language and holds a runtime of one hour and 33 minutes.
Beast initially came in at number 2 at the weekend box office right behind Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The survival thriller ended up grossing $11.6 million in its debut weekend, including $925,000 from Thursday night previews. The film made almost $5 million the following weekend, ending up in 3rd place.
Other recent theatrical releases from Universal, including Jordan Peele's Nope, are also already available to rent or own on demand. While many titles from Universal appear on Peacock shortly after their theatrical release, some films, like Halloween Kills, will be released simultaneously on the streamer and in theaters. Since Universal is such a big-name studio, the fact that their theatrical releases are heading to on demand and streaming so quickly marks a major shift in the film industry as a whole.
Beast is currently available to rent and buy on Amazon, Youtube, and other VOD Platforms. Check out the film's official synopsis and trailer below:
"Elba plays Dr. Nate Daniels, a recently widowed husband who returns to South Africa, where he first met his wife, on a long-planned trip with their daughters to a game reserve managed by Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley), an old family friend and wildlife biologist. But what begins as a journey of healing jolts into a fearsome fight for survival when a lion, a survivor of blood-thirsty poachers who now sees all humans as the enemy, begins stalking them."
ncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kr6at0q1kmq6RnrmirsueZKimXZmyrq3NnWSinKKewG6xy5uYaA%3D%3D