This week’s U.S. theatrical-to-streaming story is less about one giant new blockbuster arriving today and more about three recent studio movies entering their second lives on subscription streaming.
The most important new arrival is Supergirl, which moved to HBO Max yesterday after a disappointing theatrical run. Meanwhile, Scary Movie is settling into Paramount+ after a much stronger box-office performance, and The Mandalorian and Grogu is back where its characters first became a phenomenon: Disney+
Platforms and Sources Reviewed
HBO Max, Paramount+, Disney+ and Starz were reviewed alongside Variety, Reuters, AP, Box Office Mojo, official Disney+ and Paramount+ announcements, and current streamer release pages.
Main Highlights
1. Supergirl — Now Streaming on HBO Max
The biggest new theatrical-to-streaming move this week is DC Studios’ Supergirl, which began streaming on HBO Max on September 10 after opening in U.S. theaters June 26.
The Milly Alcock-led movie had a difficult theatrical run. Variety reports that it opened to about $37.1 million domestically and $62.6 million globally, eventually finishing with roughly $126 million worldwide. The trade publication estimates the movie lost between $100 million and $120 million during its theatrical run.
That makes its HBO Max performance particularly important.
Why it matters
Streaming provides Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios with a second opportunity to reach viewers who may have skipped the theatrical release.
There is also a franchise advantage. HBO Max already serves as a home for DC programming, making Supergirl part of a much larger content ecosystem rather than a standalone movie competing for a theatrical ticket purchase.
How the box office may affect OTT viewership
A weak theatrical performance does not necessarily mean weak streaming demand.
The cost of sampling the movie changes dramatically once it becomes part of an existing HBO Max subscription. Viewers who were unwilling to pay for a theater ticket may be much more willing to press play at home.
That makes Supergirl a particularly useful test of what might be called streaming redemption: whether a high-profile theatrical disappointment can become a much more widely watched subscription title.
OTT takeaway: HBO Max may tell us whether franchise awareness can outweigh theatrical disappointment once the price barrier is removed.
2. Scary Movie — Now Streaming on Paramount+
The revived Scary Movie franchise moved to Paramount+ on September 3, approximately 91 days after its June 5 theatrical release. Paramount+ is offering both the theatrical version and an extended cut.
Unlike Supergirl, this movie arrives on streaming as a clear theatrical success.
The sixth installment opened with roughly $54 million and ultimately earned more than $230 million worldwide. Variety reports that its performance helped push the overall Scary Movie franchise past $1 billion in global box office.
Why it matters
This is the ideal studio-to-streaming pipeline.
Paramount already monetized the film successfully in theaters. Now Paramount+ can use the movie to generate streaming engagement while simultaneously directing viewers toward the older Scary Movie films already available on the platform.
How the box office may affect OTT viewership
Strong theatrical performance creates built-in awareness.
Millions of people already know the movie exists—even if they did not see it in theaters. That recognition lowers the discovery hurdle once it reaches streaming.
The timing also helps. A horror-comedy arriving on streaming as fall and Halloween viewing begins has natural seasonal momentum.
OTT takeaway: Theatrical success and streaming success do not have to compete. A strong cinema run can become free marketing for the subscription window.
3. The Mandalorian and Grogu — Now Streaming on Disney+
Disney brought Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu to Disney+ on September 2, returning Din Djarin and Grogu to the platform where audiences originally discovered them.
The movie earned approximately $177.7 million domestically and $345.5 million worldwide during its theatrical run.
That is substantial revenue—but modest by modern Star Wars standards. Reuters reported that its opening was the smallest for a Disney-era Star Wars theatrical release, although the film also carried a comparatively restrained reported production budget of about $165 million.
Why it matters
Few theatrical-to-streaming transitions are as strategically interesting as this one.
The Mandalorian began as a Disney+ series. Disney then asked viewers to follow those characters into movie theaters. Now the movie itself has returned to Disney+.
Disney is also supporting the release with a Mandalorian podcast and a LEGO animated special, effectively turning the film into a wider streaming franchise event.
How the box office may affect OTT viewership
This title may reveal something especially important about movies built from streaming franchises.
Some fans may have decided that characters they traditionally watch at home were not enough reason to make a theater trip. Those same viewers face almost no friction now that the movie is included with Disney+.
If the film generates stronger-than-expected streaming engagement, studios may have to think carefully about which streaming-originated franchises truly warrant theatrical expansion.
OTT takeaway: A movie can underperform relative to franchise expectations in theaters yet still perform exactly as intended once it returns to its original streaming audience.
Watch Next: In the Grey Heads to Starz
Guy Ritchie’s action thriller In the Grey, starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza González, is scheduled to join Starz next.
Starz currently lists the movie as “Coming Saturday.”
Its theatrical performance was modest: Box Office Mojo reports approximately $5.7 million domestically and $27.8 million worldwide.
That makes it another interesting candidate for a second life on streaming. Star power from Cavill, Gyllenhaal and González may prove considerably more useful in a recommendation-driven streaming environment than it did at the box office.
Short Trend Takeaway
This week demonstrates that the phrase “theatrical-to-streaming window” now describes several very different business strategies.
For Scary Movie, streaming extends a successful theatrical run.
For Supergirl, HBO Max represents an opportunity to find an audience that did not materialize in theaters.
And for The Mandalorian and Grogu, streaming effectively brings the franchise back home.
The larger trend is becoming difficult to ignore: the box office is no longer the final verdict on a movie’s audience potential.
Studios increasingly get two meaningful launches—first when audiences decide whether a movie is worth buying a ticket for, and again when millions of existing subscribers can watch it with one click.
That second launch may become especially valuable for movies whose theatrical performance does not match the strength of their underlying franchise or stars.
Video Links to Watch
Paramount+ has an official Scary Movie page with streaming details for both the theatrical and extended cuts. Watch Scary Movie on Paramount+
Disney+ has the official streaming page for The Mandalorian and Grogu, while Disney’s press site includes official trailer information for the movie and related franchise releases. Watch The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+ Official Disney trailer and release information
Starz currently hosts the official page and trailer for In the Grey. Watch the In the Grey trailer on Starz
