Universal Is Hosting Watch Parties For Its Movies Heading To Homes Early

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It’s nearing two weeks since theaters closed nationwide, and movie fans miss the theatrical experience. Thankfully, it’s much easier to enjoy a movie while being at home than, let’s say, replacing the feeling of going to a concert or boarding a Disneyland ride. And this weekend, Universal is holding three at-home viewing parties to celebrate the early releases of The Hunt, The Invisible Man and Emma.

Starting tonight, moviegoers can stay put in their homes and still experience a new release with a large group of people. The studio has announced three Twitter watch parties happening tonight through Sunday morning. All you have to do is rent the movie and follow along with each night’s hashtags as you view the movie. Together, but separate.

The first watch party will feature the controversial thriller The Hunt starting at 6:30 pm PST and 9:30 pm ET. The Friday night event will be hosted by Joshua Overshire (@TheJovenshire) of Honest Game Trailers and SmoshGames co-founder Dave “Lasercorn” Moss (@LaserCorn). The hashtag to follow along with for The Hunt will be #TheHuntMovieAtHome.

Then on Saturday night, Parks and Recreation’s own Donna Meagle and star of Good Girls, Retta (@unfoRETTAable), will be the host of Universal’s The Invisible Man watch party. You can get our thumbs ready for this one at 1 pm PST and 4 pm ET using the hashtag #TheInvisibleManAtHome.

 

Lastly, you can start your Sunday with a morning viewing party of the latest Jane Austen adaptation, Emma, starting at 10 am PT and 1 pm ET. Turner Classic Movies’ Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone) is hosting, and the event comes with an invitation to join her in sipping mimosas and tea while watching the period rom-com starring Anya Taylor-Joy. The hashtag to follow for this one is #EmmaAtHome.

Each of these titles were released to VOD last week amidst the global health crisis that has currently stalled the theatrical marketplace. The Hunt hit theaters on March 13, just as businesses were starting to close and stay-at-home orders started going into effect. In turn, the $14 million production movie wasn’t given a proper chance in theaters and made just $6.5 million before it hit digital.

Lucky for The Invisible Man, Leigh Whannell’s new take on the classic movie monster was already a big hit in theaters for almost a month before it moved to digital. It made $124 million against a low-budget production of $7 million. Emma hit theaters earlier this month to a $25 million box office haul.

These three titles are currently available to rent for $20 over a 48-hour window on Prime Video, Apple TV, Xfinity, Google Play, Vudu and Fandango Now. Twitter watch parties have become more popular, with filmmakers joining in sometimes too – including Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson tuning into one last night.