In the four years since the Walt Disney Company bought 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight, the core studio — now known as 20th Century Studios — has become for the most part a content mill for its streaming services.
Some key IP — like next summer’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” — are still deemed worthy of theaters but most 20th Century Studios films, like the true-crime thriller “Boston Strangler” and “Vacation Friends 2,” are streaming-bound.
Insiders differ on whether this is a temporary situation caused by COVID variables, a Wall Street-driven rush to streaming and an uncertain theatrical marketplace playing their parts.