Paramount Rolls The Dice, Releases 'Snake Eyes' Early On Digital And On-Demand

Did you miss Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins while it was playing in theaters? Fear not, because this new Covid-era world we find ourselves in means that exclusive theatrical windows are shorter now than they've ever been. Paramount has now made Snake Eyes available to watch on digital and on-demand much sooner than we ever thought they would.

The Henry Golding-starring action film didn't quite light the box office on fire (even by pandemic standards), which likely influenced the decision to forego the traditional 45-day wait that many of us expected the movie to abide by after its July 23 release date. That would have set its premium video on demand date for sometime in early September, but that's no longer the case.

Instead, you can now watch Snake Eyes from the comfort of your own living room tomorrow, August 17, 2021. For those who still prioritize physical media collections, the movie will subsequently be made available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 19, 2021.

Here is the bonus content included on the Snake Eyes 4K Ultra HD release, which includes access to a Digital copy of the film; or the 4K Ultra HD SteelBook Combo, which includes an Ultra HD Disc with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and a Blu-ray Disc with Dolby Atmos, as well as access to a Digital copy:

Again, it's worth emphasizing how much we're in uncharted waters here.  We can likely expect many more of these sorts of announcements in the near future, following similar moves among other films such as A24's Zola and Universal's F9. The box office simply isn't the reliable gold mine of profits anymore that studios had come to depend on, meaning that the real money must now be found through other avenues.

That means streaming. Streaming, unlike almost any other marketplace out there, has exploded during this pandemic and for good reason — families can sit in the safety and comfort of their own home without needing to expose themselves to unnecessary risks elsewhere for the sake of entertainment. This isn't great news for movie theaters, or for movie fans who continue to hold up theaters as a crucial aspect of movie-watching, but the virus continues to have the last say as far as that's concerned.

Along those lines, Snake Eyes is still expected to be made available on Paramount+ for those who subscribe to that streaming service. If you haven't seen the movie yet, /Film's own Hoai-Tran Bui was rather less than impressed by the oddly punch-less action movie. For those in need of a refresher, here's the synopsis below:

Discover the origins of the iconic G.I. Joe hero, Snake Eyes (Henry Golding), in this action-packed, edge-of-your-seat adventure. Welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage after saving the life of their heir-apparent, Storm Shadow (Andrew Koji), Snake Eyes joins the battle against the terrorist group Cobra. Pushing him to the limits, Snake Eyes will become the ultimate ninja warrior. But, when past secrets are revealed, his honor and allegiance will be tested – even if that means losing everything he has been fighting for. Also starring Úrsula Corberó as Baroness and Samara Weaving as Scarlett.