Get the family together for ‘The Croods 2’: All the places to stream it
This year, streaming has been a go-to activity for many, with cinemas closing and lockdowns forcing people to stay indoors for extended amounts of time. This holiday season, it’ll be more important than ever to put together that watchlist so you can enjoy some flicks with the fam – physically together or not.
A highly-anticipated family film this year is The Croods: A New Age, the latest installment of The Croods franchise. Unless you’ve been living in a cave with no wi-fi, you’ve seen advertising for this family film everywhere. Although ads for this flick have been relentless, it could be worth checking out with the family.
Where can you watch The Croods: A New Age, one of the most highly anticipated (and advertised) family films of the year?
The Croods: initial release
The Croods 2 took to theaters on Thanksgiving, which is usually a smart time for new releases as it is usually one of the biggest times for theater-goers each year. This year, however, things were different – as they were in most areas. The film boasted less of a grand opening, since many are waiting for the film to come online to watch.
Where can you watch?
Because of its understandable lack of theater success, The Croods 2 is coming on demand in December – and likely a little earlier than expected.
Before COVID ran a wrench through the theater business, there was usually a minimum of seventy-four days before you could get your hands on a film out of theaters after its release. However, Universal has shortened that requirement to a terse seventeen days – which is bad news for theaters, but good news for at-home watchers.
Universal has one exception to this new rule, however – if a movie makes over $50 million on its opening weekend, seventeen days can be stretched to thirty-one. Though this is unlikely for The Croods 2, the studio is no doubt still waiting to see if it will happen.
When it comes to our living rooms, The Croods 2 will be streamed on “premium video on demand,” which means it won’t be on our regular services, like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Instead, the film is coming to Amazon, Google Play, and Apple TV. It will cost $19.99.
When can you watch?
Though there have been conflicting reports as to when, exactly, The Croods 2 will pop up on the small screen, the earliest it could be viewable is December 13th, based on Universal’s new seventeen-day rule.
IndieWire states that the film will be released on December 23rd, but the Cinemaholic argues that it won’t come out until Christmas Day. Newsweek doubts a Christmas release, however, as Pixar’s much-awaited Soul is coming to streaming on that very day – and will be free on Disney Plus. As big-budget animations, a same-day release would put the two in direct competition with one another.
What is The Croods?
The first Croods came out in 2013, and boasted an impressive voice cast, including Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, and Catherine Keener. The film is set in a fictional prehistoric period called “The Croodaceous,” and follows a caveman whose role as “Leader of the Hunt” is threatened by the arrival of a mad genius.
The film saw positive reviews, and was a financial success, earning over $587 million at the box office on a smaller budget of $135-175 million. On top of its high earnings, The Croods also was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.
The Croods: A New Age follows a similar premise, when the prehistoric family called “the Croods” are challenged by a rival family called “the Bettermans.”
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When sifting through those endless watch-options this holiday season, don’t forget about The Croods 2. It promises to be fun, engaging, and family friendly – which is something we could all use after the chaotic year that was 2020!
