Judd Apatow’s latest film, The King of Staten Island, is bypassing its intended theatrical release in June and is heading directly to VOD. Likewise, the film will premier on VOD on June 12 rather than the original planned June 19 date.  This release date was severely impacted by the coronavirus and social distancing precautions, so, rather than delay the release, Apatow has opted for the Trolls: World Tour approach of sending it straight to streaming services. 

The King of Staten Island stars Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson in his first leading role in a feature film. As a coming of age story, the film is semi-autobiographical for Davidson, as it incorporates events from his own life growing up on Staten Island. Starring alongside Davidson are Marisa Tomei and Steve Buscemi.

In a video posted to social media, Apatow and Davidson asked Universal Studios to put the film on-demand. Amidst their conversation, the two expressed their excitement for the film and hoped that it can bring some happiness to viewers in the midst of our global pandemic.  In the wake of coronavirus and social distancing, this change comes as no surprise, seeing as other highly anticipated films like Emma have opted to bypass their planned theatrical releases as well.