Summary
Night Swim
and
Lisa Frankenstein
have secured streaming release dates after lackluster theatrical runs.
The Blumhouse horror movie received largely negative critical reviews, while the Kathryn Newton-led horror-comedy struggled to recoup its production budget.
Despite their struggles, the two have a chance to be hits on Peacock thanks to Stephen King’s positive recommendation for
Night Swim
and
Lisa Frankenstein
writer Diablo Cody’s history of cult followings with
Jennifer’s Body
.
After the two failed to spark much conversation in theaters, Night Swim and Lisa Frankenstein have landed streaming release dates. Blumhouse’s first 2024 release revolved around a family moving into a house where the pool was home to a malevolent entity, while the horror-comedy from Jennifer’s Body writer Diablo Cody offered a humorous twist on the Mary Shelley tale in which a lonely goth girl begins a relationship with a reanimated Victorian era corpse. Though Night Swim performed modestly at the box office, both movies were met with mixed to negative reviews from critics.
With the two already available on VOD platforms, Peacock has confirmed Night Swim and Lisa Frankenstein’s respective streaming release dates. The Blumhouse title, led by Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon, is set to premiere on the streaming platform on April 5, exactly three months after it hit theaters. Meanwhile, the Kathryn Newton-led horror-comedy is set to premiere on March 29, just shy of two months after the movie hit theaters.
Could Night Swim & Lisa Frankenstein Find Better Success On Streaming?
With a modest budget of just $15 million and the name Blumhouse behind it, Night Swim seemed all but guaranteed to at least be a modest financial hit, if not an outright smash, had it scored better reviews from critics. Lisa Frankenstein, meanwhile, was more of an outlier when it came to predicting its box office numbers, as Newton had become a recognizable name in horror thanks to Freaky. Despite minimal opening weekend competition, the indie movie’s mixed reviews clearly didn’t spark much word of mouth among audiences as the movie failed to recoup its $13 million production budget.
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Despite these struggles, though, there is potential for both Night Swim and Lisa Frankenstein to enjoy some delayed success via their streaming releases. The Blumhouse release recently got a fairly positive review from Stephen King, who favorably compared the horror-thriller to Steven Spielberg’s breakout thriller Duel. Given King’s social media reviews have drawn attention to many underseen projects, like the horror show From, it would be interesting to see if his support lends the movie a boost on Peacock.
Additionally, there’s already a precedent for Lisa Frankenstein to find better success in its streaming release than in its theatrical. Cody’s previous horror effort, Jennifer’s Body, memorably saw a similar mixed response from critics upon its release before later garnering a major cult following and calls for a potential sequel. With Lisa Frankenstein boasting a far better Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 81% than the Megan Fox-led cult classic, and Night Swim having support from one of horror’s most notable names, Peacock may offer the chance for both to enjoy a resurgence in popularity.
Source: Peacock
Night Swim
Based on the 2014 short film Night Swim is a horror-thriller film that follows a woman being terrorized by a spirit in her swimming pool. Kerry Condon and Wyatt Russell star in the film, handled by Atomic Monster and Blumhouse Productions.
Director Bryce McGuire
Release Date January 5, 2024
Studio(s) Atomic Monster , Blumhouse Productions , Universal Pictures
Distributor(s) Universal Pictures
Writers Rod Blackhurst , Bryce McGuire
Cast Kerry Condon , Wyatt Russell , Nancy Lenehan , Amélie Hoeferle , Jodi Long , Gavin Warren
Lisa Frankenstein
Lisa Frankenstein is a comedic fantasy-horror film by first-time director Zelda Williams and is a twist on the classic Frankenstein formula. Set in 1989, a high school outcast named Lisa accidentally revives a handsome corpse from the Victorian era and resolves to rebuild him into the perfect man.
Director Zelda Williams
Release Date February 9, 2024
Studio(s) MXN Entertainment , Lollipop Woods
Distributor(s) Focus Features
Writers Diablo Cody
Cast Kathryn Newton , Cole Sprouse , Liza Soberano , Henry Eikenberry , Joe Chrest , Carla Gugino