Universal Extends Theatrical Window to Five Weekends in 2026

In a shocking reversal in strategy, Universal Pictures is lengthening the time that its movies will play exclusively in theaters.

It’s a major change from the pandemic era when Universal was aggressive in brokering deals that shortened the theatrical window to roughly 17 days, or three weekends. Now the studio is committing to longer runs, promising a minimum of five weekends in 2026 and seven weekends in 2027 before a film moves to home entertainment.

It’s a huge win for movie theater owners, who have long argued that audiences wouldn’t pay to see movies on the big screen if they could wait a few weeks to watch them at home. Way back when, 90-day windows were the norm but the industry average has settled on roughly 45 days since the great COVID box office reset. This kind of commitment is especially meaningful to the nation’s cinema operators as ticket sales lag around 20% behind pre-pandemic years.

“Our windowing strategy has always been designed to evolve with the marketplace, but we firmly believe in the primacy of theatrical exclusivity and working closely with our exhibition partners to support a healthy, sustainable theatrical ecosystem,” NBCUniversal Entertainment chair Donna Langley told the New York Times, which broke the news of the company’s shift.

Studios often argue — especially after a costly big-budget flop — that theatrical is just one component of a film’s profitability. That’s because digital rentals and Pay 1 deals can offset potential theatrical losses (or, of course, bolster profits for box-office winners). Universal’s longer guarantee of theatrical exclusivity, however, acknowledges that a meaningful big-screen run secures a better return on investment. Disney, the largest film studio in terms of marketshare, currently boasts a 60-day window.

“Reminders of Him” will kick off the company’s new policy when the romantic drama, an adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel, lands in theaters on Friday. Other films on Universal’s 2026 slate include “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” the “Despicable Me” sequel “Minions & Monsters” and Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day.”

However the five (and eventually seven) weekend window won’t apply to Universal’s specialty label Focus Features, which has backed Oscar fare including this year’s “Hamnet,” “Bugonia” and “Song Sung Blue.” Arthouse films, the bread and butter of Focus Features, have particularly struggled to find an audience in the years since COVID; moving those kinds of movies more quickly to premium video-on-demand platforms can help to save money because it cuts marketing costs.

The theatrical window has always been a fiercely debated topic across Hollywood. In 2011, Universal controversially attempted to offer director Brett Ratner’s action comedy “Tower Heist” in homes — for a $60 rental fee — just three weeks after it debuted in theaters. Faced with threats of boycotts, Universal was ultimately forced to abandon the plan.

Over the past six years, though, the conversation reached a fever pitch as movie studios used the pandemic to test all kinds of release models, several of which involved day-and-date debuts on streaming. Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Theatres, has previously called the abridged windows a “failed” experiment, arguing that studios and exhibitors alike would generate more money with longer periods of exclusivity. (Ironically, AMC was the first to strike a landmark deal with Universal in summer 2020, which took the initial sledgehammer to the theatrical window).

Aron has praised Universal’s new edict, saying it “strengthens the entire theatrical ecosystem.”

“AMC Theatres values Universal Pictures’ belief in the strength and future of theatrical exhibition,” he said in a statement. “Universal’s continued commitment to theatrical exhibition is extraordinarily beneficial to AMC and strengthens the entire theatrical ecosystem.”