Chris Pratt’s upcoming sci-fi flick The Tomorrow War gets a July 2021 release date and an Amazon streaming debut. Before he returns to the Marvel universe with next year’s Thor: Love and Thunder, Pratt will dip into an original story with The Tomorrow War. The film centers on Pratt’s high school teacher Dan Forester when soldiers from the year 2051 arrive in the present day with dire news: Mankind is losing a future war with deadly aliens, and their only hope is to bring new recruits from the present to fight. Determined to save the world for his daughter, Dan must team up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons) to rewrite the fate of the planet.
The Tomorrow War was originally scheduled to be released in theaters around Christmastime last year. However, it later jumped to July 2021 when the coronavirus pandemic brought moviegoing to a standstill. The July date initially appeared to be safe, but reports emerged in January stating The Tomorrow War was being shopped for a streaming release. At the time, it wasn’t clear which service would snatch it up, but recent weeks have seen talks of a growing deal with Amazon.
Now, it is official: The Tomorrow War will debut on streaming. Today Amazon announced the film will premiere on Prime Video on July 2 in over 240 countries and territories. Described as a global sci-fi actioner, The Tomorrow War is directed by Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie), and Pratt serves as an executive producer on top of his starring role. This deal comes after the successful release of another Amazon-acquired film, Coming 2 America.
High-profile streaming releases would have seemed unthinkable at the start of 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic has truly altered the entertainment landscape permanently. Major films like the aforementioned Coming 2 America and Disney’s Soul have debuted exclusively on streaming, and they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Though recent weeks have seen positive signs of improvement for the moviegoing industry, particularly thanks to Warner Bros.’ Godzilla vs. Kong, distributors are still wary about putting their biggest projects solely in theaters. Still, a streaming release for a sci-fi adventure like The Tomorrow World, which could have blockbuster potential, is a bit disappointing.
At the same time, sending The Tomorrow War to streaming will ensure it finds an audience. Streaming movies have boomed during the pandemic, and there’s a chance more people will seek out the film on Amazon than those who would if it was merely in theaters. As compelling as The Tomorrow War‘s premise sounds, an original idea might not be enough to draw in viewers who might be hesitant about returning to theaters. The verdict is in, and The Tomorrow War is set to be Amazon’s latest major release.
