Disney's latest live-action film, "Cruella," will offer a fresh take on one of the studio's most infamous animated villains. The film focuses on Cruella de Vil from the "101 Dalmatians" franchise and tells the story of how she became the character audiences have come to know on screen. 

"Cruella," starring Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone, will arrive in theaters and on Disney Plus on May 28 via Premier Access. Premier Access requires subscribers to pay an extra $30 one-time fee in order to watch a movie at home while it's still playing on the big screen.  

The film is set in 1970s London and follows a young woman, Estella (Emma Stone), whose "flair for fashion" earns the attention of Baroness von Hellman, according to the film's official synopsis. But the relationship between the two spurs Estella to "embrace her wicked side" and become the "raucous, fashionable, and revenge-bent" Cruella de Vil.

How to watch 'Cruella' on Disney Plus

"Cruella" will arrive on Disney Plus as a Premier Access title on May 28. Disney Plus subscribers will have to pay a one-time $30 fee to unlock the film on that date.

As long as you remain a Disney Plus member, you'll be able to stream the movie whenever you want. The film is expected to become available to all Disney Plus subscribers, without the extra fee, at a later date. Previous Premier Access windows have lasted three months, but Disney has yet to confirm if that will be the case for "Cruella."

Disney Plus costs $8 a month or $80 a year. You can also bundle Disney Plus with ESPN+ and Hulu Basic for $14 a month, a savings of about $6 a month compared to purchasing the three streaming services on their own.

You can watch Disney Plus on a number of media players including Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and most smart TVs. You can find a full list of devices that support Disney Plus here.

How to watch other '101 Dalmatians' films and shows

In addition to "Cruella," the "101 Dalmatians" franchise includes the original animated film, an animated direct-to-video sequel, two live-action movies, three made-for-TV films, and two TV series. 

All of the below titles are available to watch with a Disney Plus subscription:

• "101 Dalmatians" (1961)
• "101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure" (2003)
• "101 Dalmatians" (1996)
• "102 Dalmatians" (2000)
• "101 Dalmatians: The Series" (1997)
• "101 Dalmatian Street" (2018)
• "Descendants" (2015)
• "Descendants 2" (2017)
• "Descendants 3" (2019)

You can also order most of these titles through video-on-demand (VOD) streaming providers such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and more. 

The '60s animated classic "101 Dalmatians" is available on a number of VOD streaming services. Most platforms will let you rent the film for $4, purchase the film in standard definition (SD) for $15, or purchase the film in high definition (HD) for $20.

Join the conversation about this story »

"A Quiet Place Part II" debuted in theaters on May 28, and it's now available to stream at home on Paramount Plus.

The movie is the first in a string of Paramount releases that are set to hit the streaming service just 30 to 45 days after they premiere in theaters.  The spine-chilling thriller is also available to buy through video-on-demand (VOD) platforms like Vudu and Prime Video for a one-time fee of $20.

Written and directed by John Krasinski, the sci-fi horror movie features Emily Blunt as a parent attempting to protect her children from deadly aliens who are drawn to noise. Krasinski and Blunt have been married off-screen since 2010, and "A Quiet Place Part II" is their second collaboration as director and star.

Referring to Blunt during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Krasinski said, "She's the greatest collaborator I've ever worked with."

"A Quiet Place Part II" is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 91% rating after receiving predominantly positive reviews from critics. The original film also received critical acclaim, and currently holds a "96% Fresh" rating.

How to watch 'A Quiet Place 2' on Paramount Plus

You can now watch "A Quiet Place Part II" with a Paramount Plus subscription. Plans for Paramount Plus cost $5/month for the ad-supported option or $10/month for access to on-demand content without ads. The ad-free plan also includes access to live CBS streaming.

The streaming service offers new members a free seven-day trial of either plan. Your subscription will automatically renew at the monthly price unless you cancel your membership before the trial ends. Annual plans are also available, and paying for a year up front can save you around 16%.

College students are eligible to receive a 25% discount on a monthly subscription to the Paramount Plus ad-supported plan. This offer must be claimed while you are enrolled in college, but the discount is valid even after you graduate, for up to four years.

"A Quiet Place Part II" is available in up to 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio on compatible devices. You can find a full list of supported gear here.

Where to watch 'A Quiet Place 2' without Paramount Plus

If you don't want to sign up for a Paramount Plus subscription, you can instead buy "A Quiet Place Part II" from a VOD platform like Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV, FandangoNow, and Google Play Movies. Whether you get the SD, HD, or 4K UHD version, "A Quiet Place: Part II" costs $20.

Once purchased, you can watch the movie as many times as you like through the service you selected. The thriller will be available to rent starting July 27. The Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray editions of "A Quiet Place Part II" will be released that same day.

What other horror movies are available on Paramount Plus?

In addition to "A Quiet Place Part II,"Paramount Plus subscribers can currently rewatch the first movie in the franchise, "A Quiet Place."

Other notable scary movies available for streaming on Paramount Plus include:

• "28 Days Later" (2003)
• "Arachnophobia" (1990)
• "Child's Play" (2019)
• "Crawl" (2019)
• "Gretel & Hansel" (2020)
• "Paranormal Activity 3" (2011)
• "Pet Semetary" (2019)

For more details on Paramount Plus, check out our Paramount Plus guide and our roundup of Paramount Plus movies and shows.

Join the conversation about this story »

SEE ALSO: Netflix added 8.5 million paid subscribers in Q4, surpassing 200 million for the first time despite slowed growth following a massive pandemic-driven spike

10. "Fatherhood"— 74 million

Description:"A widowed new dad copes with doubts, fears, heartache and dirty diapers as he sets out to raise his daughter on his own. Inspired by a true story."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 66%

What critics said: "The appeal of Fatherhood really boils down to its title, the resilience of the human spirit, and Hart being bold enough — like his alter ego — to think that he can do this. And like Matt, by the time it's over, he's demonstrated that he pretty well can."— CNN

9. (tied) "Army of the Dead"— 75 million

Description:"After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries takes the ultimate gamble by venturing into the quarantine zone for the greatest heist ever."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 70%

What critics said: "Snyder understands the tonality of a modern zombie film. Like Dawn of the Dead, it's where his trademark snark shines best."— Polygon

9. (tied) "Project Power" (2020) — 75 million

Description: "An ex-soldier, a teen and a cop collide in New Orleans as they hunt for the source behind a dangerous new pill that grants users temporary superpowers."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 61%

What critics said: "A film built on the thrill of the now, the hyper-modernity on show in hip-hop trappings, tricks lifted from gaming and yes, the availability of the whole thing at the push of a button in the palm of your hand."— Financial Times

7. "Enola Holmes" (2020) — 76 million

Description: "While searching for her missing mother, intrepid teen Enola Holmes uses her sleuthing skills to outsmart big brother Sherlock and help a runaway lord."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 91%

What critics said: "'Enola Homes' is the kind of movie that the preteen set will surely delight in and watch over and over. I know I would have."— Associated Press

6. "The Old Guard" (2020) — 78 million

Description: "Four undying warriors who've secretly protected humanity for centuries become targeted for their mysterious powers just as they discover a new immortal."

Rotten Tomatoes critics score: 80%

What critics said: "The Old Guard asks some existential questions that leave the audience wanting more."— Vox

5. (tie) "Murder Mystery" (2019) — 83 million

Description: "On a long-awaited trip to Europe, a New York City cop and his hairdresser wife scramble to solve a baffling murder aboard a billionaire's yacht."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 44%

What critics said: "Every Adam Sandler comedy abides by a trope as hoary as 'the butler did it.' At some point in the shenanigans, Sandler's schlub has gotta get a chance to prove he's the bravest boy in the world."— Variety

5. (tie) "6 Underground" (2019) — 83 million

Description: "After faking his death, a tech billionaire recruits a team of international operatives for a bold and bloody mission to take down a brutal dictator."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 36%

What critics said: "This is a terrible action movie that utilizes Michael Bay's worst instincts and none of his best."— Newsday

3. "Spenser Confidential" (2020) — 85 million

Description: "Spenser, an ex-cop and ex-con, teams up with aspiring fighter Hawk to uncover a sinister conspiracy tied to the deaths of two Boston police officers."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 37%

What critics said: "An ending that teases the possibility of sequels, with Wahlberg's Spenser tackling more cases of police officers and emergency personnel who have been falsely accused of crimes, should elicit nothing but groans."— AV Club

2. "Bird Box" (2018) — 89 million

Description: "Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a survivor and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 63%

What critics said: "Bird Box's pieces feel forcibly screwed together, a movie marionetted by strings of data code. There's good scenes and smart ideas, but overall, the movie mostly clomps."— Guardian

1. "Extraction" (2020) — 99 million

Description: "A hardened mercenary's mission becomes a soul-searching race to survive when he's sent into Bangladesh to rescue a drug lord's kidnapped son."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 67%

What critics said: "The fight scenes are plastic and glossy. Hargrave mistakes gore for cool and technical prowess for choreography, deploying overlong one-take shots that look like 'Call of Duty' outtakes."— New York Times

Netflix wants to give traditional Hollywood studios a run for their money when it comes to franchises.

The streaming giant is looking to build hit franchises and it's increasingly ordering movies based on existing IP. 46% of the original-film commissions Netflix has made this year are remakes, sequels, spin-offs, or adaptations, according to the research firm Ampere Analysis.

Netflix has already implemented this strategy with its original TV shows, evidenced by the (canceled) comic-book series "Jupiter's Legacy," as well as "Shadow and Bone" and "The Witcher," both based on fantasy novels. 

Last year, the company introduced two new TV teams to help with this goal: the events/spectacle team led by the head of US originals Peter Friedlander and the franchise team led by the head of international originals Kelly Luegenbiehl.

Now, Netflix is ramping up the strategy on the movie front, and it has already made some progress.

It's building a universe out of Zack Snyder's zombie film "Army of the Dead," which the company said on Tuesday in its Q2 earnings report was watched (for at least two minutes) by 75 million households in its first month. A prequel film, "Army of Thieves," debuts later this year. 

Netflix also recently bought the rights to two "Knives Out" sequels. The first movie, directed by Rian Johnson and released by Lionsgate in 2019, was a surprise box-office hit, grossing $311 million worldwide off of a $40 million budget. Multiple outlets, including Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, reported that Netflix paid more than $400 million for the rights.

But Netflix still has a long way to go, and its global presence could be essential, according to Ampere Analysis.

"Netflix can now lay claim to true studio status in terms of the global production infrastructure it has established in recent years, but it is still chasing franchise success when it comes to movies," said Alice Thorpe, an Ampere Analysis analyst. "What's clear from its recent commissioning is that the platform is not just relying on sequels to the likes of comic book adaptation 'The Old Guard' to make that happen; building local franchises with crossover appeal in multiple territories is also key to its strategy."

Netflix's franchise movie push comes at a time when other streamers are zeroing in on bankable IP. Amazon has had luck with recent hits like "The Tomorrow War," based on a sci-fi novel, with a sequel in the works. Amazon also recently bought the film studio MGM, which releases the James Bond movies.

Disney and WarnerMedia are leveraging their own franchises — like "Star Wars" and DC — to boost their streaming services, Disney+ and HBO Max. 

Netflix's franchise strategy is also reflected in its plans to offer mobile video games on its service. During the company's earnings call on Tuesday, its operating and product chief, Greg Peters, said that Netflix's IP will be integral to its game offerings. 

"We are in the business of making these amazing worlds, great storylines, and incredible characters, and we know that the fans of those stories want to go deeper," Peters said. "They want to engage further and they actually want to direct a little bit where their energy goes. What's great about interactive is that our universes provide a significant amount of time people can engage and explore."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why 'moist' is one of the most hated words in the English language

Launched just months before the pandemic struck, Disney+ notched defining hits in 2020 like "The Mandalorian,""Hamilton" and "Soul." 

Content became king amid COVID shutdowns, but driving Disney+'s product development, launch, and aggressive global expansion was Disney+ and ESPN+ President Michael Paull. Paull joined streamer BAMTech as CEO in March 2017, about five months before Disney acquired majority ownership of the company. Over the next six months or so, his team led product development on, built the go-to-market plan for, and collaborated with ESPN to launch ESPN+ in April 2018. 

"We were able to leverage, in my opinion, the best content portfolio from a sports perspective in the industry," Paull said. "And then of course we came up with a pricing proposition that was very attractive [$5/month]." In November 2019, his group repeated the feat with Disney+, which boasts 103.6 million subscribers (a number it took Netflix nearly 10 years to reach).

Now Disney+, like many other streamers, is seeing slowed subscriber growth as Hollywood hotly debates the company's simultaneous release of Marvel's "Black Widow" in theaters and via Disney+ Premier Access (for $30). Paull declined to comment on these fresh challenges, but the executive cheered the service's recent creative laurels: 71 Emmy nominations for the service, with "The Mandalorian" tying Netflix's "The Crown" for most nods. ("WandaVision," which scored 23 nominations, is a favorite with Paull's kids, ages 7 and 9, who also watch "Monsters at Work.")

"It was a validation of all the great work the studio creatives have been doing," said Paull. "It's just amazing, actually, to get to there."

In an interview with Insider, Paull credited Disney's content teams and deep well of IP for this awards milestone as he broke down the thrills of building Disney+, the unique challenges of global expansion, and why he looks for "great athletes" to build out his teams.

Conversation condensed and edited for clarity. 

Looking back, what were the largest hurdles your teams faced in developing and launching both ESPN+ and Disney+?

In the early days of streaming, companies would support only a small number of platforms because they figured out, you know, these are the easier platforms to support and most households have those platforms. We took a different approach: The goal that I gave the team is, I want every TV set in the household to be able to watch Disney+ and ESPN+. So not just the new TV in the living room, but even the older television in the kids' room or in the kitchen, and that's a very lofty goal. 

We also created a strategy to enable Disney+ to work on set-top boxes [such as Comcast in the US and Sky in the UK], and we've been deploying that strategy around the world because we recognize in many parts of the world, that's still the primary box that consumers are using to watch content. 

What has been the biggest surprise to you about how Disney+ has been received?

It probably shouldn't have been a surprise, but the fandom that exists, the emotional connection between Disney fans and Disney+ was really remarkable. Just seeing seeing the responses we're getting when we're dropping a new episode of "Loki": There are people who are waiting up until three in the morning to watch those episodes when we drop it on the East Coast — and not a small number of people — and it just shows massive fandom and massive emotional attachment to our content.

What has been the biggest challenge about global expansion?

When we first architected Disney+ we were thinking about it as a global service. 

In the early days [of streaming], certain companies, when they went global, they just turned their service on, right? And it worked. But they didn't have all the arrangements in place with the CDNs [content delivery networks] and others to make sure the streaming quality was absolutely excellent. They didn't localize the service — whether it was language or currency or local payment mechanisms, or even localizing marketing activities to make sure that they understood the consumer so they could position the product in an appropriate way. 

Where we came in, we were able to do all of those things, but they're hard. Being able to support all of these different currencies and all of these different payment mechanisms and localizing not only the product but all the marketing collateral, subs [subtitles] and dubs [dubbing], for all of the contents and all of these languages. There's an incredible amount of operational work that had to go into making all of that happen.

Do you have thoughts about which IP Disney+ could further explore and develop into film and TV?

We give the creative teams input about what's happening on the service and what's working and what's working better and all of that, but the actual decision-making on how they are going to develop IP, I would defer to our other groups.

We did a very robust presentation at our Investor Day on the incredible amount of content that's coming. What I'd like is for it to get completed and made available and ready for the service — in light of some of the shutdowns and or slowdowns that have happened due to the pandemic — but I'm extremely optimistic about what's coming to the surface in the future. 

How do you hire and organize teams to tackle these challenges? 

We're looking for, first and foremost, great athletes. People that are smart, that are hardworking, that are passionate about what we're doing and will fit within our culture. We've been very focused on creating a culture that really starts and ends the day focused on the consumer and is very focused on scalability. So we need to find people and talent who can come in and understand their North Star is the consumer, and will this scale? 

And then of course, you want them to be hardworking and collaborative, because we're a very big organization across a lot of countries. Collaboration is absolutely key to being able to be successful.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Sneaky ways Costco gets you to buy more

Though Hulu originally launched as a platform aimed at bringing TV series to streamers, over the years it's built a sizable movie catalog, with an estimated total of around 2,500 films across genres. 

If you don't have Hulu yet, the ad-supported plan is one of the most affordable streaming services on the market at $6 a month, or you can upgrade to the ad-free option — which we think is well worth it— for $12 a month. For those who want even more content, Hulu is available as a bundle with Disney Plus and ESPN+ for $14 a month. 

Each tier gives you access to Hulu's entire movie catalog as well as the platform's entire collection of shows. The Hulu app is available on most smart TVs, streaming devices, smartphones, and web browsers. 

If you're looking for something to watch on Hulu, here are our recommendations for some of the best movies you can stream right now. Our selection features a mix of recent releases and classics across genres, ensuring that all viewing needs are accounted for. All of the movies we've selected are categorized as fresh by critics on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. 

The best drama movies on Hulu

'Nomadland' (2020)

This 2021 Oscar winner for best picture was also one of the top winners at the 2021 Golden Globes. "Nomadland" focuses on a woman searching for work on the road as she encounters other travelers across the country. "Nomadland" is directed by Chloé Zhao and stars Frances McDormand. 

'Parasite' (2019)

Winner of the 2020 Academy Award for best picture, "Parasite" deals heavily with social and economic themes related to class. The dark satire centers on a poor family, the Kims, who are in need of work. When the Kims trick a wealthy family into hiring them all for various jobs, it looks as if their money problems are solved. But complications arise that could reveal the family's con.

"Parasite" comes from director Bong Joon Ho ("Snowpiercer") and is presented on Hulu with its original Korean audio mix. English and Spanish subtitle options are available.

'Babyteeth' (2019)

Director Shannon Murphy's debut film tells the story of Milla, a teenager fighting cancer, who meets Moses, a man in his early 20s who's addicted to drugs. Her parents aren't fond of the relationship between the two but it appears to bring Milla a new outlook on life. The coming-of-age tale is based on the play of the same name.

The best comedy movies on Hulu

'Sorry to Bother You' (2018)

Cash is finding his job as a telemarketer to be nearly impossible until his coworker lets him in on the secret to success: "white voice." When he excels at the skill, he rises quickly through the ranks only to discover the company he's working for has a freakish dark side. This sci-fi satire takes on race, class, and labor themes in a truly unique way.

'Palm Springs' (2020)

"Palm Springs" is a romantic comedy with a sci-fi spin. The film stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti as two strangers who get trapped in a time loop. No matter what they do, every morning they wake up at a wedding in Palm Springs living the same day over and over again.

The Hulu Original movie is directed by Max Barbakow, and features a script written by Andy Siara. Jason Guerrasio, entertainment correspondent at Insider, gave the film an A- grade in his full review.

'Booksmart' (2019)

Following in the footsteps of similar coming-of-age teen comedies, "Booksmart" offers ample laughs and heartfelt insights in equal measure. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein star as a pair of high school seniors who suddenly realize they've spent their entire lives focusing on grades without having any fun. Before their graduation, they attempt to make up for lost time with a night of partying they'll never forget.

The best action movies on Hulu

'Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol' (2011)

This is the fourth film in Paramount's popular "Mission: Impossible" franchise. It features Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) as he and his team travel around the globe to stop a terrorist from launching a missile strike against the US. The action-packed thriller also stars Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, and Léa Seydoux.

'The Dark Knight' (2008)

Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed blockbuster, "The Dark Knight," helped usher in an era of prestige superhero movies. Heather Leger posthumously won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his memorable portrayal of the Joker. 

'Dredd' (2012)

The original "Judge Dredd" movie from 1995 starring Sylvester Stallone flopped with critics, but this hyperviolent reboot directed by Pete Travis received positive reviews. With gore and drug use throughout, the highly stylized sci-fi movie is not for those with a queasy stomach, but it offers a thrilling ride for viewers who crave intense action.

The best documentaries on Hulu

'The Donut King' (2020)

"The Donut King'' follows the highs and lows of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy's experience running a multi-million dollar pastry business while living in California. The documentary highlights a unique subculture and the potential shortcomings of the American Dream.

'RBG' (2018)

Over the past several years, the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent a transformation from legal expert and Supreme Court Justice to the Notorious R.B.G. — an unlikely pop culture icon and feminist superstar. This critically acclaimed documentary tracks the groundbreaking, revolutionary career of a political powerhouse and her rise to prominence as the second-ever female Supreme Court Justice.

'Three Identical Strangers' (2018)

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, "Three Identical Strangers" presents a classic instance of "truth is stranger than fiction." This unlikely true story examines the peculiar case of identical triplets who meet each other as young adults after being separated at birth. As the three brothers attempt to piece together how this could have happened, they discover surprising twists and turns that gradually expose a complex mystery.

The best family movies on Hulu

'Shrek' (2001)

This classic fairy tale about a green ogre — voiced by Mike Myers — is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Full of comedic gags that will make kids and adults laugh, "Shrek" remains a great choice for any family movie night. The all-star cast includes Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and John Lithgow.

'Ice Age' (2002)

With memorable voice acting by Ray Romano and John Leguizamo, "Ice Age" is a lighthearted, prehistoric family movie. Laugh-out-loud moments help to keep kids engaged with the movie's positive message about building community with those you love.

'Missing Link' (2019)

Winner of the 2020 Golden Globe for best animated motion picture, "Missing Link" is a beautiful stop-motion film from the same studio that produced "Coraline" and "Kubo and the Two Strings." The story follows a Sasquatch named Mr. Link who seeks the help of an explorer to find his Yeti relatives. Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis all lend their voices to the cast.

The best horror movies on Hulu

'Little Monsters' (2019)

In this Hulu Original movie, Lupita Nyong'o plays a school teacher who must protect her kindergarten class during a zombie apocalypse. The film also stars Alexander England as a struggling musician, and Josh Gad as a kids' TV personality. Blending horror and laughs, "Little Monsters" offers a gory twist on romantic comedy sensibilities.

'28 Days Later' (2002)

"28 Days Later" is a tense zombie thriller directed by Danny Boyle. The movie takes place one month after a virus tears through London, turning people into deadly rage-filled killers. A group of misfits, led by Cillian Murphy, band together in an effort to reach safety.

'The Host' (2006)

An earlier film from Bong Joon-ho, the director of "Parasite,""The Host" is a uniquely scary monster movie with multiple action sequences set in the damp, Korean sewers. The absentminded Park Gang-du (Kang-ho Song) must save his youngest daughter who is being held captive by an amphibious monster. This movie is presented in Korean with English subtitles.

Read more about Hulu on Insider Reviews

Disney+ has made big strides since the streamer rolled out in November 2019, signing up 103.6 million subscribers across more than 45 countries and territories. 

From the start, Disney+ had an aggressive international expansion plan, seeking to roll out in Europe, Latin America, and Asia within two years, and the streamer is well on its way to achieving that. 

Driving much of the streamer's international expansion is Disney+ and ESPN+ President Michael Paull. In a recent interview with Insider, Paull explained how he set Disney+ up for global success and what he's learned in the process. 

Paull and his team prioritized quality and accessibility everywhere, even if that meant working with some older tech. 

Paull leveraged lessons learned from other streamers' early efforts to increase Disney+'s odds of growing subscribers globally. That included having deals in place early with content distribution networks to ensure high-quality content streams. 

"​​In the early days, certain companies, when they went global, they just turned their service on, right? And it worked. But they didn't have all the arrangements in place with the CDNs and others to make sure the streaming quality was absolutely excellent." Paull said. "Companies would support only a small number of platforms because they figured out, these are the easier platforms to support and most households have those platforms. We took a different approach: The goal that I gave the team is, I want every TV set in the household to be able to watch Disney+ and ESPN+. So not just the new TV in the living room but even the older television in the kids' room or in the kitchen, and that's a very lofty goal." 

Paull learned it takes more than technology to connect with local audiences.

Deploying Disney+ in different countries involved tackling the unique nuances of each region, from the content's subtitles and dubbing tracks to culturally appropriate marketing. 

"Being able to support all of these different currencies and all of these different payment mechanisms and localizing not only the product but all the marketing collateral, subs and dubs, for all of the contents and all of these languages," Paull said. "There's an incredible amount of operational work that had to go into making all of that happen."

Disney protected its family-friendly promise as it added more mature programming on Star.

As part of Disney+'s global expansion, it also launched Star, a brand with content from Disney and suppliers including ABC, 20th Century Studios, and 20th Television. Star is available in markets like Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Because it's a new section bundled with Disney+, parental controls were added and turned on by default.  

"With Star, we made the decision to broaden the content offering, and that was a challenging thing, because we had a customer promise that we made that the content — all the content in the service — would be addressable for the whole family," Paull said. "We recognized that as we're going to add more mature programs to the service, we were going to need to figure out how to communicate this properly, as well as how to ensure that as a parent, if I don't want my kids to have access to that content, that there would need to be adequate and easy-to-use parental controls. We actually decided to have those parental controls by default on, which is the opposite of what you've seen with most video services out there, where the parental controls are optional — and they're off by default."

Read more about why Disney+ is succeeding in Asian markets.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Hate going to the theater? Here's how theaters are ruining the movie-going experience

Disney's "Jungle Cruise" will premiere on July 30, nearly two years after its originally intended release date in October 2019. Starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, the movie will debut simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus with Premier Access.

In "Jungle Cruise," Johnson and Blunt embark on a perilous riverboat journey through the Amazon jungle to find the Tree of Life. The action-adventure movie is inspired by the ride of the same name at Disneyland and Disney's Magic Kingdom. 

Earlier this year, Disneyland revealed a new version of its Jungle Cruise ride for theme park visitors to enjoy. The updated attraction no longer includes offensive portrayals of Indigenous people.

"Jungle Cruise" will be the fifth movie released online via Disney Plus Premier Access. You can currently buy "Black Widow" and "Cruella" with Premier Access as well.

How to watch 'Jungle Cruise' on Disney Plus

"Jungle Cruise" premieres on July 30 in theaters and on Disney Plus with Premier Access. In order to stream the movie at home when it debuts, you have to pay a one-time $30 fee on top of your Disney Plus subscription. 

Viewers who purchase "Jungle Cruise" through Premier Access can watch the film as many times as they like as long as they remain a Disney Plus member. Disney Plus costs $8 a month or $80 a year. Subscribers can preorder "Jungle Cruise" now to get access as soon as it's released on Friday.

If you don't mind waiting a few months, "Jungle Cruise" will become available to all Disney Plus members without an extra fee on November 12. 

For viewers who want a wider variety of entertainment options, Disney Plus currently offers a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ for a discounted rate of $14 a month. The bundle saves you about $6 off the combined regular price of all three services.

You can access the Disney Plus app on most smartphones, smart TVs, and media players. You can find a complete list of devices and platforms that support Disney Plus here. "Jungle Cruise" will be available to stream in up to 4K with HDR color and contrast on compatible devices.

What other movies can I stream on Disney Plus?

Subscribers looking for more entertainment on Disney Plus will find an extensive catalog of movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Fox.

"Raya and the Last Dragon" and "Mulan" were originally offered on Disney Plus for an additional fee, but these movies are now included as part of the standard membership. Fans of animated movies will enjoy "Luca," a coming-of-age adventure, and "Soul," a jazz-focused exploration of the afterlife.

Viewers who want to watch "Cruella" or "Black Widow" still have to pay an extra $30 to access each movie. "Cruella" joins the standard Disney Plus collection on August 27, and "Black Widow" will be available without an extra fee starting October 6.

Check out our full review of Disney Plus for more information about the streaming service.

Join the conversation about this story »

After an impressive debut in theaters, "F9: The Fast Saga" is now available to rent for $20 through video-on-demand (VOD) services. The early streaming release comes about a month after the movie's theatrical premiere on June 25. 

Directed by Justin Lin, "F9" is the ninth installment in the "Fast & Furious" series. The action movie features Vin Diesel and John Cena as feuding brothers. "F9" delivers a constant rush of adrenaline with all the wild car chases and extreme stunts the franchise is known for.

"F9" also honors the late Paul Walker who died in a car accident in 2013. Walker played Brian O'Conner in the first seven "Fast & Furious" movies. For more details about how the film pays tribute to Walker, read Insider's interview with director Justin Lin.

Where to watch 'F9' online

"F9" is now available to watch at home through video-on-demand services. You can rent the movie for $20 from Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, FandangoNow, YouTube, Microsoft Movies, and Apple TV. The film's streaming debut comes just one month after it premiered in theaters.

Once you rent a title, most VOD platforms give you 30 days to begin watching a movie. After the movie is started, you typically have 48 hours before your rental expires. 

Rental options range from standard definition (SD) to 4K UHD with high dynamic range (HDR), but the price is $20 no matter what quality you choose. You can access VOD services on most smart TVs, mobile devices, streaming players, and web browsers. 

In addition to VOD services, "F9" is likely to arrive on HBO Max or Peacock later this year, but an official release date has not been announced. 

Where can I watch other 'Fast & Furious' movies?

The best streaming services for watching movies from the "Fast & Furious" franchise are Peacock and HBO Max.

You can stream three of the "Fast & Furious" movies for free with ad-supported Peacock:

• "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" (2006)
• "Fast & Furious" (2009)
• "Fast Five" (2011)

The HBO Max catalog includes access to the first two installments:

• "The Fast and the Furious" (2001)
• "2 Fast 2 Furious" (2003)

Additional movies from the "Fast & Furious" series are available to rent individually on VOD services like Prime Video and Vudu.

Join the conversation about this story »

Paramount's "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" is struggling to revitalize the Joes for the big screen.

The movie, which cost $88 million to produce, dropped a whopping 70% at the domestic box office in its second weekend from $13 million to $4 million, bringing its North American total to $22 million (it's earned $28 million globally so far).

Other recent releases, like Warner Bros.' "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and Disney's "Jungle Cruise," managed to break $30 million in their opening weekends even while streaming simultaneously on HBO Max and Disney+.

"It's never good news when you're attempting to reboot a franchise and the audience overwhelmingly rejects your cinematic offering," said Jeff Bock, the Exhibitor Relations media analyst. "After the disappointing domestic gross of 'Snake Eyes,' it's pretty clear they'll have to go back to the drawing board yet again."

The last two G.I. Joe movies, 2009's "The Rise of Cobra" and 2013's "Retaliation," grossed a combined $678 million worldwide. They weren't massive failures, but they also underperformed considering that they cost $175 million and $130 million to produce, respectively.

All three movies, including "Snake Eyes," were torn apart by critics and each have "rotten" critic scores at Rotten Tomatoes below 40%. The first two films also have rotten audience scores of 50% and 48%, and "Snake Eyes" has an mediocre 74%.

Last year, Variety reported that Paramount was developing another G.I. Joe movie that would be a follow-up to "Snake Eyes." But "Snake Eyes" is failing to make the case that audiences are eager for more Joe in theaters.

Bock thinks that if Paramount wants to salvage the franchise, the right move would be to reboot it as a TV series for parent company ViacomCBS's streaming service, Paramount+. In late 2017, Paramount reached a new five-year deal with the toy company Hasbro to distribute movies and TV shows based on its properties like G.I. Joe and Transformers.

"Paramount+ would then have a high-end serial to attract subscribers that isn't 'Star Trek,' and if successful, could lead to a path back to the big screen," he said.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it's like in the death zone of Everest, K2, and other mountains

"The Suicide Squad" is arriving a day earlier than originally planned. You can stream the movie on HBO Max during a special preview tonight at 7 p.m. ET. The streaming debut will coincide with the movie's theatrical preview screenings that same day. 

Written and directed by James Gunn, "The Suicide Squad" features Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and a group of dangerous inmates from Belle Reve prison. The ragtag team of supervillains is sent on a bloody quest to destroy a laboratory with a dark past on the island of Corto Maltese.

Insider gave "The Suicide Squad" an A- in our full review. According to Entertainment Correspondent Kirsten Acuna, the film is "one the smartest comic-book movies ever" and it deserves to be watched more than once. 

Where to watch 'The Suicide Squad'

"The Suicide Squad" will premiere on HBO Max during a special preview on August 5 at 7 p.m. ET. Only members who subscribe to the ad-free plan will be able to watch the movie. "The Suicide Squad" will be available to stream on HBO Max for 31 days.

HBO Max's ad-free plan costs $15 a month. The service offers a less expensive ad-supported option for $10 a month, but that plan does not include in-theater movies like "The Suicide Squad." Hulu is currently offering a free seven-day trial of HBO Max to subscribers who sign up for its add-on service. To get the trial through Hulu, you must be new to HBO Max.

HBO Max is available on smartphones, tablets, computers, PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, and select smart TVs, including Samsung and LG models. Visit the HBO Max website for a complete list of supported devices.

"The Suicide Squad" will be available in up to 4K Ultra HD resolution with HDR on compatible TVs and media players. You can check to see if your device supports high-quality streaming on the HBO Max website.

Are 'The Suicide Squad' and 'Suicide Squad' different movies?

Though they have similar titles, "The Suicide Squad" is considered to be a standalone film that takes place after the events of 2016's "Suicide Squad."

Certain actors, like Margot Robbie and Viola Davis, reprise their roles in the 2021 film, but other actors, like Jared Leto and Will Smith, do not. Though the new movie references the first, the creators don't consider it a direct sequel. 

The original "Suicide Squad" movie from 2016 is also available on HBO Max, alongside many other DC superhero movies like "Birds of Prey,""Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and Zack Snyder's "Justice League." 

In addition to "The Suicide Squad," you can stream "Space Jam: A New Legacy" while it's still in theaters. "Space Jam" will remain on HBO Max until August 15.

Join the conversation about this story »

Amazon Music Unlimited and Paramount Plus are partnering together to offer new members a deeply discounted monthly bundle. With the deal, you only pay $1 a month for your first three months of service.

This bundle is a fantastic value if you want on-demand music, movies, and TV shows. Amazon Music Unlimited offers subscribers over 75 million songs and high-fidelity streaming. Meanwhile, Paramount Plus gives members access to a vast catalog of films, classic series, and original programs.

Amazon Music Unlimited's individual plan normally starts at $8 a month for Prime members and $10 a month if you're not a Prime member. The ad-free plan from Paramount Plus usually costs $10 a month. This deal can save new members up to $57 over the course of three months.

How to get 3 months of Amazon Music Unlimited and Paramount Plus for $3

To get the discounted bundle rate for Amazon Music Unlimited and Paramount Plus, you need to sign up for the deal on Amazon's website. If you previously subscribed to either service, you're not eligible for this promotion.

The $1 a month rate for the bundle lasts three months. After the promotional period, your subscription to the individual Amazon Music Unlimited plan will automatically renew at $8/month for Prime members or $10/month if you're not a Prime member. Your subscription to ad-free Paramount Plus automatically renews for $10/month.

To help decide if Amazon Music is right for your listening needs, check out Insider's head-to-head comparison of Amazon Music and Spotify. 

And you can find more details on Paramount Plus in our full guide and review.

Join the conversation about this story »

9. "Blood Red Sky" (2021, Netflix original)

Description: "When a group of terrorists hijacks an overnight transatlantic flight, a mysteriously ill woman must unleash a monstrous secret to protect her young son."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

What critics said: "It's the type of plot that screams action-horror spectacle, yet this high-altitude thriller defies expectations from the start. A beating heart of familial love pumps through the veins of this intense horror-thriller with a vicious take on vampire lore."— Bloody Disgusting

8. "Kung Fu Panda" (2008)

Description: "When a powerful villain comes after peace in his valley, a lazy panda rises to the challenge to realize his destiny and become a kung fu warrior."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 87%

What critics said: "The animation work is dazzling; it's lovingly detailed without being overdone (particularly the opening sequence, which is hand-drawn and looks like prints struck from ancient woodblocks)."— New Yorker

7. "Far Street Part Two: 1978" (2021, Netflix original)

Description: "In the cursed town of Shadyside, a killer's murder spree terrorizes Camp Nightwing and turns a summer of fun into a gruesome fight for survival."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 88%

What critics said: "Its thematic concerns and adding of dimension to the trilogy's story lift it above average genre fare. In this case, the first cut was definitely not the deepest."— Los Angeles Times

6. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (2010)

Description: "With a bloodthirsty enemy on a quest for revenge, Bella must reconcile her love for vampire Edward and her growing feelings for werewolf Jacob."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 48%

What critics said: "Everything that could and should be elaborated at length to make for a convincing or even just passably trashy love story is glossed over here just as much as in the last two Twilight movies."— Slant Magazine

5. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (2009)

Description:"Still reeling from the departure of vampire Edward Cullen, a heartbroken Bella Swan finds comfort in her friendship with werewolf Jacob Black."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 28%

What critics said: "If only director Chris Weitz had managed to tease out the real drama — Bella's fear of aging — instead of a tired one."— Newsweek

4. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2" (2011)

Description: "In the epic series' final chapter, Bella and Edward's newborn daughter forces the couple into a life-altering confrontation with the Volturi."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 49%

What critics said: "If anything, this series has gotten dumber and more inert as it has progressed, with this last one finally reaching over into an extended wallow in camp."— Vulture

3. "Mother's Day" (2016)

Description: "The trials and tribulations of several Atlanta moms (and one clueless widower dad) make it a Mother's Day to remember in this ensemble comedy."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 8%

What critics said: "Even if stars Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts and Kate Hudson are mom's all-time favorites, don't subject her to this cloying, plotless dose of saccharine unless she's done you wrong."— Associated Press

2. "Twilight" (2008)

Description: "When Bella Swan moves in with her father, she starts school and meets Edward, a mysterious classmate who reveals himself to be a 108-year-old vampire."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 49%

What critics said: "As a romance, Twilight is just subpar — a more celibate, moodier take on Dawson's Creek or 90210. As a vampire story, it's a disaster."— CinemaBlend

1. "Fear Street Part One: 1994" (2021, Netflix original)

Description:"After a series of brutal slayings, a teen and her friends take on an evil force that's plagued their notorious town for centuries. Welcome to Shadyside."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 82%

What critics said: "Plays like 'Scream' meets 'Stranger Things' built on a supernatural premise sturdy enough to sustain interest and suspense over nearly six hours."— New York Times

The filmmaker Christopher Nolan has had a long relationship with Warner Bros. The studio has been involved in some major capacity with all of his films since 2002's "Insomnia," including his latest movie, "Tenet," which it distributed last year. 

But the partnership could be coming to an end. 

After the studio's parent company, WarnerMedia, announced in December that all of its 2021 film releases would be released simultaneously in theaters and on the streaming service HBO Max amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Nolan criticized the move.

"Some of our industry's biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Since then, speculation has swirled around where Nolan may take his next film — that is, if his relationship with WarnerMedia isn't mended during its merger with Discovery, which is expected to be approved next year. Netflix, a surprising ally given Nolan's commitment to movie theaters, recently expressed interest.

Nolan is one of the most high-profile filmmakers. His films have been global box-office hits despite largely being original works (except for his "Dark Knight" films). Combined, they've grossed more than $2 billion domestically and nearly $5 billion worldwide, according to data from the research company Comscore.

If Nolan's time with Warner Bros. is really at an end, every company from streamers like Netflix to tech giants like Apple to traditional studios like Sony could try to lure him in. Insider looked at the most likely scenarios based on industry knowledge and conversations with analysts.

Warner Bros. declined to comment for this story. Representatives for Nolan did not respond to a request for comment.

Netflix is already eyeing Nolan

Netflix threw its hat into the ring recently when the company's film chief, Scott Stuber, told Variety that he'd had conversations with Nolan.

"If and when he comes up with his new movie, it's about: Can we be a home for it, and what would we need to do to make that happen," Stuber said. "He's an incredible filmmaker. I'm going to do everything I can. In this business, I've learned you need to have zero ego. I get punched and knocked down and get back up."

Netflix has been able to draw Hollywood heavyweights like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee. Most recently, it signed a multiyear film deal with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment.

In that regard, a partnership with Nolan isn't too far-fetched. But there would probably be concessions to the filmmaker, like an exclusive theatrical run, which Netflix has been willing to do as it builds its relationship with Hollywood traditionalists.

"It would be difficult to imagine Nolan bending to the will of the marketplace, or any suitor for that matter, to suddenly embrace a small-screen platform like Netflix without a comprehensive, thoughtful big-screen release plan for his future films," Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore's senior media analyst, said.

"This is where the influence of a respected, world-class visionary director can come into play and may indeed set the standard for how big-screen and small-screen synergies can be properly realized now and in the future," he added. 

Traditional studios would be a safe bet

As a staunch supporter of the theatrical experience, Nolan would seem most likely to jump from one traditional movie studio like Warner Bros. to another. 

"There isn't an adjective descriptive enough for how shocked I would be if he were to end up making a film like 'Inception' or 'Dunkirk' that didn't include cinemas across virtually every major worldwide market as part of its release strategy," Shawn Robbins, Boxoffice Pro's chief analyst, said.

He added: "Unless a player in the streaming space can make a giant leap forward with their distribution model, that's where traditional studios committing to theaters have a big advantage in landing the opportunity to work with him."

Nolan already has a relationship with Paramount, which released his movie "Interstellar" domestically, while Warner Bros. handled the international rollout.

Sony is the only major studio without some kind of streaming component, a fact that could attract Nolan. It sold its Tom Hanks movie "Greyhound" to Apple during the pandemic but has largely held most of its films for theatrical release later this year or into 2022.

Tech giants are making big moves in Hollywood

Amazon and Apple haven't been shy about throwing money at their film and TV ambitions. A big-budget Nolan film would fit that model.

Apple's upcoming Scorsese film "Killers of the Flower Moon" has a massive budget — in the $200 million range, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Apple is covering the costs and will stream the movie on Apple TV+, while Paramount will release the movie in theaters worldwide.

The deal offers a blueprint for a Nolan agreement in which a tech giant with loads of cash takes care of the budget, while the movie still gets a robust theatrical release. Scorsese's project has put Apple in the spotlight as a Hollywood player and minimized the risk for Paramount.

Amazon has recently landed major films, from "Coming 2 America" to "The Tomorrow War," as it moves further away from indie art-house fare. Its upcoming "Lord of the Rings" TV series is costing the company $465 million for just one season, according to THR, which shows it is willing to drop plenty of money on ambitious projects. And Amazon already has a relationship with Nolan's brother Jonathan Nolan, who landed an overall deal at Amazon in 2019 worth $150 million, according to Variety.

But just because there is a template for Nolan to follow in Scorsese's and his brother's footsteps, that doesn't mean he will take that route. Robbins said Nolan's priority was still the theatrical experience — and whichever company can best fulfill that will likely land his next movie.

"We can easily look at individual cases as precedent setters, but I think that oversimplifies things," Robbins said. "We're living in an era of rapidly expanding content but not necessarily a complete shift."

If you have more to share about where Nolan could make his next movie, email the author at tclark@insider.com or DM him on Twitter @TravClark2.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why 'moist' is one of the most hated words in the English language

"The Suicide Squad," a follow-up to 2016's "Suicide Squad," hit theaters (and HBO Max) over the weekend to underwhelming results despite rave reviews.

The DC Comics tentpole, which cost $185 million to produce, earned $26.5 million at the North American box office in its debut, less than the already-soft industry projections that put it at $30 million. It's earned $72 million globally.

The reasons are fairly clear, a main one being that concerns over the fast-spreading Delta coronavirus variant have intensified in recent weeks. Morning Consult surveys of 2,200 US adults found consumer comfort with going to movie theaters dropped to 47% from 52% from July 10 to August 3.

Exhibitor Relations' senior media analyst, Jeff Bock, tweeted that the movie's performance was "just not sustainable for a $185 million film...unless those HBO Max subscriptions got juiced something fierce, and actually hold."

It's time for Hollywood to accept that big-budget tentpoles can't thrive in the current theatrical market.

The James Bond film "No Time to Die" and Paramount's "Top Gun: Maverick" are among big-budget tentpoles set for release later this year after already facing delays.

Movie studios: It's time to seriously consider delaying your movies again. You can celebrate only so many "pandemic-best" openings before acknowledging the market is still broken.

Rich Greenfield, a LightShed Partners analyst, thinks studios should embrace Warner Bros.' day-and-date strategy. He tweeted Monday that it "feels like 'financial suicide' to put a movie exclusively into movie theaters — day-and-date with streaming appears to be only viable option going forward."

That would solve one urgent matter. With so many movies vying for coveted release slots, studios risk overloading the marketplace in 2022 and beyond if they keep delaying their films. And HBO Max's latest subscriber numbers suggest the day-and-date strategy is attracting consumers; it added 2.8 million subscribers in the second quarter, ahead of forecasts.

But the economics are complicated. Yes, media companies like Disney and WarnerMedia are trying to juice up subscriber numbers after reorganizing around streaming during the pandemic. But a) mega-budgeted movies rely on the global box office to earn a profit; b) making them available to stream can lead to increased piracy in important markets, as evidenced by "Black Widow"; and c) after Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney over its "Black Widow" release strategy, studios may be skittish to alienate talent (or to cut them huge checks).

Some have argued that adding streaming options eats into the box office. When "Black Widow" dropped a heavy 68% domestically in its second weekend, the National Association of Theatre Owners blamed Disney's decision to release the movie simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ (for an additional fee). But it's still the highest-grossing movie domestically of the year, with $174 million — it's just nowhere close to pre-pandemic levels.

Other movies that were exclusive to theaters, including "Fast and Furious 9," also saw big drops after their opening weekends. And Warner Bros. movies released day-and-date have been some of the top-performing films of the pandemic.

To blame streaming for the sluggish box office ignores the reality of the pandemic-era theatrical marketplace, which will take a long time to fully rebound despite positive signs. The Delta variant and the slowdown in vaccinations have complicated the picture.

Despite some alternatives turned to during the pandemic, studios have largely shown a commitment to theaters. Universal and Paramount have negotiated shorter theatrical windows, as has Warner Bros. beginning next year. Sony, without its own streaming component, has held its biggest theatrical releases for this fall and winter.

Now it's time for the studios to strongly consider reevaluating their calendars for late 2021 and 2022 — especially if their projections for big-budget movies, and what constitutes a "successful" release, rely on decent performance at the box office.

Do you have info to share about movie studios' release plans? Email the author at tclark@insider.com or DM him on Twitter @TravClark2

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Sneaky ways stores like H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo get you to spend more money on clothes

AMC Entertainment soared as much as 10% on Tuesday after the movie-chain operator turned in a second-quarter loss that was narrower than anticipated. It also reported better-than-expected revenue that marked a sizable jump from last year.

The company, a favorite among retail investors driving momentum behind so-called meme stocks, said its adjusted second-quarter loss was $0.71 a share, smaller than the loss of $0.94 a share from a FactSet poll of analysts. A year ago, the adjusted loss was $5.44 a share. 

Revenue surged to $444.7 million from $18.9 million a year earlier and surpassed expectations of $382 million. 

AMC shares are now up nearly 1,600% in 2021 alone.

"The second quarter of 2021 was transformational for AMC," said CEO Adam Aron in a statement highlighting the company's raising of $1.25 billion in new equity capital during the period. The move increased its liquidity to more than $2 billion, which he said is about double the highest amount the company has ever logged and will help it keep operating in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

"Thanks to increased vaccination counts in the countries we serve, we started to see rising movie-going demand, and we safely welcomed more than 22 million guests back to our theatres across the globe during the course of the second quarter, said Aron. 

Aron also cautioned: "AMC's journey through this pandemic is not finished, and we are not yet out of the woods."

Read more:A 20-year-old crypto market-maker who skipped college breaks down his Reddit-inspired approach to trading — and outlines why he sees ether displacing bitcoin as the 'king cryptocurrency'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How the 1999 Russian apartment bombings led to Putin's rise to power

It looks like pandemic-era movie theater and streaming service dual-releases will soon be coming to an end.

Disney, Paramount, and now Warner Bros. have agreed to exclusive theater release windows, signaling an end to platforms like HBO Max and Disney+ showing new movies at the same time as theaters. 

However, there does seem to be one semi-permanent change from the pre-pandemic world: movies will be shown for a shorter amount of time in theaters before they land online, meaning you can watch new films at home sooner than before.

AMC, the largest theater chain operator in the US, announced Monday a deal with Warner Bros. to ensure movies are shown in theaters for 45 days before landing online. That 45-day window is much shorter than the traditional 75 to 90 days.

Reports had previously surfaced in March that Warner Bros. was axing its direct-to-streaming releases and returning to exclusive theater debuts in 2022. And the studio made a deal with Regal Cinemas' Cineworld earlier this year to show movies for 45 days in theaters before offering them online.

Its movies planned for 2022, like "The Batman," now will first be released exclusively to theaters before being offered online.

Disney said on a May earnings call that it is also transitioning back to exclusive theater releases, albeit with the shorter 45-day window. And Paramount made a similar deal for its tentpole movies like "Mission: Impossible 7" to have 45-day slots.

Streaming saw a huge rise in popularity since March 2020 as pandemic-driven shutdowns closed movie theaters and people sought at-home entertainment. Studios like Warner Bros., which operates the HBO Max platform, were forced to survive via dual movie releases — movies like "Zack Snyder's Justice League,""Wonder Woman 1984," and "Godzilla vs. Kong" aired on HBO Max during the pandemic. 

Disney+ similarly offered the live-action remake of "Mulan" online at the same time as it was shown in theaters. Many in the filmmaking world speculated whether or not dual-releases would be the death knell for traditional cinema. Directors Christopher Nolan, Patty Jenkins, and "Blade Runner 2049"'s Denis Villeneuve have all expressed concern over the move.

We saw one of the first sticky byproducts of the decision earlier this month when actress Scarlett Johanssen filed a lawsuit against Disney over its "Black Widow" dual release, arguing that the studio violated her contract.

She and other actors earn their salaries largely based on box office performance, a cut that the lawsuit says could have been greater had the movie not simultaneously been released online. "Black Widow" earned $158 million worldwide in theaters, while Disney raked in $60 million in home sales for the movie.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A major supplier of fuel to the East Coast has been down following a cyberattack. This animated map shows all the major oil and gas pipelines in the US.

"Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" debuted in theaters on July 23, and it's now available to rent ($20) or purchase ($25) on streaming services like Vudu,Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV,Microsoft, and Google Play. 

"Crazy Rich Asians" star Henry Golding plays the ninja action hero known only as Snake Eyes, a character first popularized by Hasbro's G.I. Joe franchise of toys, comics, and children's cartoons. The film explores the history of the ninja clan that trained Snake Eyes and his archrival Storm Shadow.

"Snake Eyes" is considered a potential starting point for a new series of G.I. Joe films from Paramount Pictures. A sequel called "G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant" has been announced but is still too early in production for casting and script details.

Where to watch 'Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins'

"Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" debuted in theaters on July 23, but you can now order it to watch at home through various streaming services. "Snake Eyes" is available to rent or buy on Vudu,Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV,Microsoft, Google Play, and more. The movie played exclusively in theaters for around three weeks prior to its streaming premiere. 

"Snake Eyes" currently costs $20 to rent or $25 to own, so we recommend paying a little more to buy the movie so you can watch it as often as you like. With that said, if you don't mind waiting a couple months, we expect the rental price to come down to around $6 once the movie hits home video.

Viewers willing to wait a few weeks should also keep in mind that Paramount Plus is expected to add "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" to its streaming library in September. Paramount Plus costs $5 a month for the ad-supported version, or $10 a month for the commercial-free version.

"Snake Eyes" is available in 4K with support for HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos on supported devices. The 4K UHD Blu-ray will be released on October 19, and Paramount is also releasing a three-movie collection with "Snake Eyes,""G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra," and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation."

What other brand-new movies can I stream at home?

In addition to "Snake Eyes," several other recent theatrical premieres are already available to stream at home. Recent streaming releases include blockbusters like "F9: The Fast Saga,""A Quiet Place Part II,""Black Widow,""Cruella," and "Jungle Cruise."

For more streaming recommendations, check out our guides to the best streaming services and the best streaming devices. 

Join the conversation about this story »

Even though the movie is still in theaters, "The Green Knight" will be available to stream for $20 through the A24 Screening Room on August 18. Following this special preview screening, the film will be available to rent through standard video-on-demand (VOD) services on August 19.

The online debut of "The Green Knight" comes less than a month after the film's theatrical premiere on July 30.

"The Green Knight" stars Dev Patel as Sir Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur who goes on a perilous quest of self-discovery. Director David Lowery takes viewers on an eerie, poetic adventure in this loose adaptation of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."

"The Green Knight" received positive feedback from critics and is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregation website. The film currently has an "88% Fresh" rating based on 206 reviews.

Where to watch 'The Green Knight' online

"The Green Knight" will be available to watch at home on August 18 through the A24 Screening Room. After this special debut screening, the movie will be available to rent through all major VOD services starting August 19.

You can purchase a ticket to stream "The Green Knight" on August 18 for $20 via the A24 Screening Room, but you only have from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET that night to start streaming the movie. Once the stream is started, you have four hours to finish watching it.

The A24 Screening Room app is available on Roku and Apple TV devices. You can also stream the movie through the A24 Screening Room website. For a full list of compatible platforms and devices, visit the A24 website.

Make sure you set aside time on this particular night to watch your movie rental, because A24 does not offer refunds for unused tickets. Only US residents are eligible for this special screening.

If you're willing to wait an extra day, "The Green Knight" will be available to rent on August 19 through VOD services like Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube. Unlike the special A24 screening, these rentals will not be restricted to a specific four-hour window. Instead, you typically have 30 days to start watching a VOD rental, and then 48 hours to finish a movie once you start it. 

Although the price has not yet been announced, VOD rentals of in-theater movies usually cost between $20 and $30. We'll update this article with VOD rental links once they're available.

What other A24 movies can I stream right now?

The best way to watch other movies from A24 is to get the Showtime add-on for a streaming service like Hulu or Amazon Prime Video. New members get a 7-day free trial, and the Showtime add-on renews for $11 a month. 

The Showtime add-on gives you streaming access to many A24 films, including:

• "Eighth Grade" (2018)
• "Hereditary" (2018)
• "mid90s" (2018)
• "Waves" (2019)
• "The Witch" (2015)
• "Ex Machina" (2014)
• "Green Room" (2015)
• "Moonlight" (2016)
• "Room" (2015)
• "American Honey" (2016)
• "Under the Silver Lake" (2018)
• "Spring Breakers" (2012)
• "Swiss Army Man" (2016)

If you have a Netflix subscription, for no extra cost you can watch the following A24 films and more:

• "It Comes at Night" (2017)
• "Lady Bird" (2017)
• "Uncut Gems" (2019)
• "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" (2017)
• "The Florida Project" (2017)
• "Good Time" (2017)
• "A Ghost Story" (2017)
• "The Disaster Artist" (2017)

Amazon Prime Video also includes a few A24 films for members like:

• "Midsommar" (2019)
• "The Lighthouse" (2019)
• "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" (2019)
• "The Farewell" (2019)

Join the conversation about this story »

On August 20, "Reminiscence" receives a simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max. Only subscribers to HBO Max's ad-free plan will be able to stream the movie at home.

The sci-fi adventure stars Hugh Jackman as a private investigator who can access and relive memories. When a client (Rebecca Ferguson) disappears under peculiar circumstances, he's determined to uncover the truth and find her. 

The dystopian movie is written and directed by "Westworld" co-creator Lisa Joy. "Reminiscence" is Joy's first feature film. "Westworld" will return for a fourth season on HBO in 2022. You can stream the first three seasons right now on HBO Max.

Where to watch 'Reminiscence'

"Reminiscence" will be available to watch in theaters and with HBO Max on August 20. The movie will remain on HBO Max for 31 days. To stream "Reminiscence" and other theatrical premieres with HBO Max, you need a subscription to the ad-free plan ($15/month).

The streaming service also offers a cheaper ad-supported plan for $10 a month, but this option does not include access to brand-new theatrical releases like "Reminiscence" and "The Suicide Squad."

If you subscribe to Hulu, you can claim a free one-week trial of the HBO Max add-on. Only new HBO Max members are eligible for this promotion.

HBO Max works with computer browsers, smartphones, Xbox consoles, Playstation consoles, tablets, and most smart TVs, including LG and Samsung. The HBO Max website provides a full list of compatible devices.

Select devices can stream "Reminiscence" in 4K Ultra HD resolution with high dynamic range (HDR). Check the HBO Max website to see if your smart TV and media player is compatible with high-quality streaming. 

What other theatrical releases can I watch on HBO Max?

Although "The Suicide Squad" is still in theaters, you can stream the movie right now on HBO Max with the ad-free plan. The unconventional superhero movie from director James Gunn is available to stream until September 5.

The next three theatrical premieres coming to HBO Max are:

• "Malignant" (September 10)
• "Cry Macho" (September 17)
• "The Many Saints of Newark" (October 1)

A movie adaptation of the epic science fiction novel "Dune" will be available to stream on October 22.

You can learn more about HBO Max in our full HBO Max guide and our HBO Max review. For more streaming recommendations, check out our guide to the best streaming services and the best streaming devices.

Join the conversation about this story »