Mulan Coming to Disney+
The blockbuster originally set to hit theatres in March will now stream on Disney+ this fall.
Disney’s live-action Mulan will skip a theatrical release and head straight to Disney+ this September.
The announcement comes as Disney’s cruises, international theme parks and retail stores all took on major financial stress due to the coronavirus pandemic. Disney+ subscribers will carry the burden of Mulan not hitting theatres by paying an extra $30.00 to watch the film.
“In order to meet the needs of consumers during this unpredictable period, we thought it was important to find alternative ways to bring this exceptional family-friendly film to them in a timely manner,” Bob Chapek, CEO of Disney, said on the company’s earnings call.
Mulan was originally set to hit theatres in March but, due to the national pandemic, Disney delayed the release of the film to the summer. As audiences expected the blockbuster to release in July, Disney then announced it was indefinitely delaying multiple 2020 releases including “The French Dispatch,” “Avatar 2” and Mulan.
“We see this as an opportunity to bring this incredible film to a broad audience currently unable to go to movie theaters,” Chapek said.
Disney+ subscribers will not be the only ones to have access to Mulan when it premieres digitally September 4th. Movie theatres in territories where Disney+ is not yet available will premiere the film to audiences in person this fall.
Disney’s restructuring comes as movie theatres across the country struggle to reopen in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The world’s largest movie theatre chain, AMC, delayed the reopening of their theatres this week. AMC movie-goers will not be able to purchase tickets until the end of August.