Christopher Landon's (HAPPY DEATH DAY) body-swapping horror/comedy FREAKY may have hit theaters less than two weeks ago, but Universal Pictures have already announced that the film will be released on VOD on December 4th; such are the times we're living in, but good news for those of you who were unable to catch FREAKY in theaters.
This also gives us a bit of a glimpse into the future of Universal releases. The studio has come to an agreement with many of the major theater chains, including AMC, Cinemark, Cineplex, to dramatically shorten the theatrical window. The deal states that any Universal movie that opens to $50 million or more at the domestic box-office will be available via PVOD just 31 days after it premieres on the big-screen, while all other films that fall under the Universal, Dreamworks Animation, or Focus Features banner will be made available after 17 days. The future is here.
Starring Kathryn Newton and Vince Vaughn, FREAKY puts a "twisted take on the body-swap movie when a teenage girl switches bodies with a relentless serial killer." The film has received largely positive reviews, including one from our own Chris Bumbray, who singled out praise for the two stars in his review. "[Vince] Vaughn, who's put comedy on the back-burner in recent years, is perfectly cast," Bumbray wrote, "as he’s one of the rare funnymen who, let’s face it, is super-imposing and scary-looking when he wants to be. Newton has exactly the right spunk for the part, and both her and Vaughn seem to be having the most fun when doing the body swap, with Millie now suddenly super strong in Vaughn’s body, while the killer has to contend with being a teenage girl that’s over a hundred pounds lighter and a foot shorter." You can check out the rest of Bumbray's review right here.
The official synopsis for FREAKY:
Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) is just trying to survive the bloodthirsty halls of Blissfield High and the cruelty of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the newest target of The Butcher (Vince Vaughn), her town’s infamous serial killer, her senior year becomes the least of her worries. When The Butcher’s mystical ancient dagger causes him and Millie to wake up in each other’s bodies, Millie learns that she has just 24 hours to get her body back before the switch becomes permanent and she’s trapped in the form of a middle-aged maniac forever. The only problem is she now looks like a towering psychopath who’s the target of a city-wide manhunt while The Butcher looks like her and has brought his appetite for carnage to Homecoming. With some help from her friends—ultra-woke Nyla (Celeste O’Connor), ultra-fabulous Joshua (Misha Osherovich) and her crush Booker (Uriah Shelton)—Millie races against the clock to reverse the curse while The Butcher discovers that having a female teen body is the perfect cover for a little Homecoming killing spree.
FREAKY is still playing in select theaters, but will hit VOD on December 4, 2020.
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