Chris Pratt’s $200M Sci-Fi Action Epic Is Officially Invading Prime Video
Chris Pratt's 2021 sci-fi war thriller The Tomorrow War has been highlighted as one of Prime Video's standout original films, having originally been diverted from a cinema release to streaming during the pandemic. The film blends elements of Starship Troopers and Edge of Tomorrow, following soldiers and civilians conscripted from the present day to fight an alien invasion in the future, and its shift to streaming became one of Amazon's biggest bets on original film content.
Paramount sold the picture to Amazon in a deal reportedly worth $200 million after plans for a theatrical release fell through. The film went on to draw more than 20 million viewers worldwide in its opening weekend, with Nielsen recording 1.23 billion minutes watched in the US in its first few days. Alongside Pratt, the cast includes Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons and Betty Gilpin; despite a lukewarm critical reception (52% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences rated it far more favourably at 75%.
- The Tomorrow War remains a major Prime Video original film
- Paramount sold it to Amazon for a reported $200 million
- Drew 20 million+ opening-weekend viewers despite mixed critic reviews
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The Tomorrow War is a 2021 science fiction action film starring Chris Pratt, in which people from the present day are pulled forward in time to help fight an alien invasion in the future. It was made by Paramount but never had a cinema release, since the studio sold it to Amazon for a reported $200 million after the pandemic disrupted plans for a traditional theatrical run.
The film became one of Amazon's most prominent original movie releases on Prime Video, drawing a large global audience in its opening weekend and racking up over a billion minutes watched in the US alone within its first few days. Alongside Pratt, it features Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons and Betty Gilpin, and while critics were divided on it, ordinary viewers rated it considerably more positively.
The film is often cited as an example of how streaming services used the pandemic to secure big-budget films that would otherwise have gone to cinemas, reshaping how some major releases reach audiences.