In another sign that the movie business is nowhere close to recovering to its pre-Covid state, there’s news this morning that yet another film previously planned for a big theatrical release by a major studio is now going straight to Netflix instead.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines — which was previously titled Connected when it was produced by Sony Pictures Animation — has been sold to the streaming giant. The film was produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller of The LEGO Movie fame, and directed and co-written by Mike Rianda. Originally scheduled for a September 2020 theatrical release, the film will now debut on Netflix everywhere except China later this year.

Back when the movie was still titled Connected, here was its trailer:

And here’s the synopsis for the film:

The Mitchells vs. The Machines is an original animated comedy about an everyday family's struggle to relate while technology rises up around the world! When Katie Mitchell (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), a creative outsider, is accepted into the film school of her dreams, her plans to meet “her people” at college are upended when her nature-loving dad Rick (voiced by Danny McBride) determines the whole family should drive Katie to school together and bond as a family one last time.

In a press release, Lord and Miller said they were “overwhelmed by the enthusiasm Netflix has expressed for this movie with this acquisition” and said they are “really proud of the film we all made together.”

The Mitchells vs. The Machines move to streaming continues the ongoing trend of big-screen releases finding new homes online during the pandemic — and of the major streaming services competing to attract eyeballs by grabbing the biggest titles they can get their hands on. Amazon Studios has acquired big comedies like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and Coming 2 America, while Disney’s pushed Mulan and Soul to Disney+ and Warner Bros. entire 2021 slate will debut on HBO Max simultaneously with its theatrical release. Netflix says it will premiere The Mitchells vs. The Machines later in 2021.

Gallery — The Best Netflix Movies of 2020:

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