While stuck at home due to the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese cinephiles might have hoped they would see more new films skipping cinemas to premiere online. Sony’s Columbia Pictures has some disappointing news for them. The studio said on Weibo today that an online rumor about Little Women being released on streaming platforms in China ahead of cinemas is not true. The film, which was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards, will get a theatrical release first, but it might not keep the original February 14th release date.
Last month, the highly anticipated comedy Lost in Russia premiered online over Lunar New Year on Bytedance-owned platforms, including Douyin (China’s TikTok), as cinemas across China closed down because of the epidemic. The move was applauded by internet users, but it triggered an outcry from China’s cinema industry, prompting theaters to boycott the film.
Little Women was set for a Valentine’s Day release, but that could now change. Several films set for release around the same time, including Jojo Rabbit, have canceled their releases. When asked about changes to Little Women’s cinema release in China, a Sony Pictures China spokesperson told us that they’re choosing when to give an announcement about it.