Why is Halloween Kills on Peacock and not HBO Max?

You might be wondering why Halloween Kills is on Peacock and not HBO Max or some other streaming service. The movie was distributed by Universal Pictures, and producer Jason Blum explained in a recent interview with Collider that he made the decision himself, and that he was the one to approach Peacock.

Blum was thinking of two factors in his decision: One, that Halloween Kills had already been delayed a year thanks to the pandemic, and two, that another Blumhouse Productions movie had been released in theaters only in 2020 and it didn’t receive the attention it deserved.

Jason Blum picked Peacock for Halloween Kills

“It was my idea to do it,” he said. “[Peacock] didn’t approach me, I approached them. I, like everyone else, am a big believer in the theatrical experience. I think eventually there should be windows. I think Universal’s strategy of the three-week window is a great strategy, but I had a bad distribution experience with Freaky. That movie is a great movie, and it didn’t get seen because the distribution of it got twisted up. My fault.”

Freaky, a slasher comedy starring Vince Vaughn, was released in theaters in November 2020 and it ultimately made $16.2 million at the global box office.

Blum knew that he had to make some big decisions for Halloween Kills to ensure that the movie had the greatest chance of success possible, especially in light of the delta variant still wreaking havoc. While the outlook for the box office is bright, especially with the warm reception Shang Chi and Venom received, Blum didn’t want to take any chances.

“I didn’t want to go through that experience again,” he continued. “I didn’t want to have a movie that I’m really proud of that I think is great and have there be an excuse why people didn’t see it. So I’m the one who pitched Universal. And then I pitched Jamie [Lee Curtis] and David [Gordon Green], and it was my idea. I stand behind it. I’m glad that we’re doing it.”

While some Hollywood executives have balked at same day releases, Blum embraced the opportunity it gave him to give his movie the best chance at success while also allowing the highest number of fans to see it, whether it be at home or in theaters. The gamble seems to have paid off, with Halloween Kills performing well at the box office in its first weekend.