As Strange Darling is only playing in limited theaters, busy movie-goers are wondering if and when it will begin streaming online.
Strange Darling opened on 1,135 screens in the United States on August 23, nearly a year after debuting at the 2023 Fantastic Fest.
Director and writer JT Mollner developed Strange Darling after inspiration from a variety of class horror tropes and it was eventually filmed in 2022.
Strange Darling secured a major US distribution deal with producer Bob Yari's new company, Magenta Light Studios, following wide praise during its festival premiere.
It currently sits at the tremendous 97% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it doesn't have the financial backing to be in the theaters very long.
When Will Strange Darling Release Online?
It may only be a matter of weeks until Strange Darling is shifted from theaters to digital shelves for purchase.
Fellow Miramax 2024 horror film, Russell Crowe's The Exorcism opened in theaters on June 21 and then hit digital platforms 18 days later on July 9.
A similar two-theatrical exclusive window could make sense for Strange Darling as well. This would make Strange Darling's expected digital release date September 10, with a general expectation for it to become available sometime next month.
The one aspect that could delay this online release is continued box office success. Strange Darling debuted with a strong $1.14 million, contributing to a solid performance against Zoe Kravitz's Blink Twice opening ($7.3 million).
Is Strange Darling Coming to a Streaming Service?
As this is the first film distributed by Magenta Light Studios, it's impossible to know where and when Strange Darling will begin streaming.
In this case, streamers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and more will likely bid for the streaming rights to this film.
Given the fresh buzz and overwhelmingly positive reception from viewers and critics, it is likely that Strange Darling will be later streaming on a popular service.
A darkhorse streaming service candidate is Shudder, a streaming service specializing in horror, thriller, and supernatural fiction, owned by AMC Networks.
Back in April, Shudder secured the pay-one rights for The Exorcism, meaning it's going to be the first platform to stream the film after its exclusive theatrical release.
However, this is no guarantee as Strange Darling's pay-one rights have not been reported on so there's no clear answer to where it will be streaming. Fans can expect it to be streaming on a service by the end of 2024.
Strange Darling is now playing in theaters.
