LOS ANGELES: Lionsgate has announced that horror thriller "Antebellum", starring Janelle Monae, will be skipping theatres and premiere on premium on-demand platforms on September 18.
The film was previously set for an April release, before being pushed to August 21 and later to an undetermined date as uncertainty continues to prevail over when the theatres in the US will be reopened.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to impact an ever-changing theatrical release calendar.
In a statement, Joe Drake, Chairman, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said the Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz-directed movie will be released theatrically in select international markets.
"While the theatrical experience will always be the heart of our business, we are thrilled that we are able to seize the opportunity to match Gerard and Chris's urgent and immediate film with a release strategy befitting this moment of extraordinary change," said Drake.
"Gerard and Chris are storytellers whose work beats with authenticity not only will this film entertain and thrill audiences worldwide, but spark a discussion about our current world," he added.
Bush and Renz are making their feature directorial debut with the mysterious film, which features Monae as author Veronica Henley, who is kidnapped and forced to live out a horrifying reality in which she is an enslaved woman.
"While we designed 'Antebellum' to be consumed as a communal experience in the theatre, we are thrilled by the unique opportunity we have to pivot to a different kind of communal moment in our culture.
"As we face the realities of systemic racism in our country, which have crescendoed to this current inflection point in 2020, we understand how imperative it is to bring 'Antebellum' to the broadest audience possible, while also prioritising health and safety," the director duo said.
"Antebellum" also features Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Gabourey Sidibe, Marque Richardson, Robert Aramayo, Lily Cowles, and Tongayi Chirisa.