Bonghive

Here's exactly when Parasite will be available to stream online

Less than two months to go!

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After conquering the Oscars, Parasite is setting its sights on streaming. It was only a matter of time before director Bong Joon-ho's latest (and arguably greatest) movie landed online somewhere, and now we finally know exactly when and where the movie will be available to stream online.

Parasite releases on Hulu on April 8 (sorry Netflix fans). That means we're just a little over a month away from watching the South Korean thriller from the comfort of our own homes. In the meantime, here's a little more info on why exactly Parasite is going to Hulu instead of Netflix or HBO, plus a guide to catching up on Bong's previous movies while you wait.

Must read: Road to Parasite: The Rise of Korean Cinema in 11 must-see movies

So... will Parasite get a Netflix release date?

Not anytime soon, though I understand why you might think that's where the movie would end up.

After all, Bong's worked with the streaming giant before. His previous movie, Okja, was even a Netflix original. Snowpiercer also ended up on the streaming platform after a troubled theatrical release. (That's why Bong stuck with Netflix for Okja.)

Explaining Parasite's Hulu release date

That's right, Hulu. Earlier this month I predicted that the Disney-owned streaming giant would score exclusive streaming rights to Parasite. It turned out I was right about the platform but slightly wrong about the exact release date.

Hulu has historically landed first rights to Neon's biggest movies, including I, Tonya and Ingrid Goes West. Ingrid Goes West released in theaters on August 25, 2017 and hit Hulu on Jan 25, 2018 (that's five months later). I, Tonya released in theaters on December 8, 2017 and hit Hulu on May 31, 2018 (that's roughly a six months wait).

By comparison, Parasite hit theaters on October 5, 2019. So it made sense to expect its Hulu release date in late February or early March. However, after its success at the Oscars and the likelihood of an extended theatrical release, it makes sense that the movie isn't going to streaming until early April instead.

Side note: Does this mean Park So-dam is a Disney Princess now?

What about HBO or Amazon?

HBO may have scored the rights to a Parasite remake (or is it a sequel?) from Bong and Adam McKay, but that deal clearly didn't include the rights to the original movie.

Finally, you can rent Parasite right now on Amazon for six bucks, but don't expect the movie to land on either of these streaming services anytime soon.

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