Stream Movies the Day They Come out in Theaters? Screening Room Gets Support from Peter Jackson, JJ Abrams and more

Hate the crowds at the movie theater? Struggle to find a few seats in a row at eye-level every time you want to watch that new blockbuster in IMAX? You’re probably not alone, and Screening Room thinks so too.

From the mind of Sean Parker, the entrepreneur behind Napster and 5% of Facebook, comes the soon-to-be released Screening Room, an app that will bring movies still in the theater right to your TV at home. The service actually has considerable support from some big names such as Peter Jackson, JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg. Variety is reporting that the heavy hitters in film have announced their blessing as both investors in this new project but also as the creators of film, saying it won’t take profits from movie theaters, but instead offer an alternative for people who can’t currently make it to a physical location to watch.

Now how much does such a service cost? Well this is where things get interesting. Screening Room plans to charge around $50 per film, after a $150 membership fee is paid. In other words, this won’t be cheap. Then again, a trip to the theater with the family can easily get above $100 after the cost of tickets, a babysitter, popcorn and soda, etc.

It’s a tempting thought, to pay $50 for easy access to a same-day film. Some movies are made for the big screen, as I have a hard time imagining watching ‘Star Wars‘ online for a first viewing. But for the most part, we’re certainly interested in the concept of same-day movie viewing.