Studio Won’t Release ‘Tower Heist’ Early For Rent

Universal Pictures has dropped plans to release “Tower Heist” for home rental three weeks after it opens in theaters next month. The action-comedy stars Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller. The studio’s decision comes after some theaters had threatened to boycott the movie. Theater managers had said early availability of video-on-demand films at home might mean people will skip seeing it in theaters. There’s usually a window of three to four months between a studio film’s release in theaters and when it’s available to watch at home. But looking to make up for declining DVD revenue, studios have been experimenting with narrower windows to see how much people might be willing to pay to see movies at home earlier. Universal had planned to charge $60 to rent “Tower Heist.”