It took a while, but Amazon is finally offering Canadians the option to rent and purchase digital editions of individual movies and television shows. The Amazon Prime Video Store launched here today and you don’t need a Prime account to access it.
The VOD service – which has been available in the U.S. the UK, Germany and Japan for several years – brings Amazon alongside Apple, Google and Microsoft, all of which offer feature films in the on-demand window between their theatrical runs and their release on disc.
Amazon’s press release touts deals with Disney, Warner, Sony, Paramount and Lionsgate Universal, the first studio to make its theatrical releases available as streaming rentals when COVID-19 shuttered theatres last month, does not appear to be on board.
And this is interesting: Vin Diesel actioner Bloodshot, one of the last major-studio films to make it into theatres, is on the site with an “early access” banner and the text “The Prime Video Store brings you early access to in-theatre movies.” It’s available for purchase only, priced at $24.99 as far as I could determine, it’s the only film being packaged in this manner.
Other recent theatrical releases – including Paramount’s Sonic The Hedgehog, Like A Boss and The Rhythm Section, Lionsgate’s Knives Out, Warner’s Joker and Sony’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Little Women – are available for both rental and purchase, with prices comparable to those on other services. Rentals range from $4.99 to $6.99, with purchase prices between $9.99 to $24.99, and going as high as $29.99 for 4K UHD editions.
Oh, and it doesn’t seem that Amazon’s got full access to studio libraries: Disney has provided Solo: A Star Wars Story and Avengers: Infinity War to the Prime Video Store, but not the more recent Endgame or The Rise Of Skywalker, which are available to buy and rent on the other on-demand services.
In fairness, Disney did just announce that The Rise Of Skywalker will premiere on its own streaming service on May 4. Maybe they just wanted to be sure the Force stayed with them for that one.
