Written by Kristina Calhoun
With the coronavirus still affecting millions, Disney has decided to release their live-action remake of “Mulan” on their streaming site Disney+ rather than in theaters. “Mulan” was scheduled to release in August, but Disney decided otherwise, causing the movie to almost be left out of the movie release calendar. If this had happened, “Mulan” would not have been released until 2021. The 2021 movie release schedule was also getting crowded, leading “Mulan” to uproot its schedule yet again.
Disney felt they could not find a safe date to release the movie in the midst of the pandemic. Everyone would be waiting to see the movie, and there wasn’t much time to give theaters a game plan on how to run the theater for the release. In countries like China that do not have Disney+, “Mulan” will be released in theaters at a later date.
CEO Bob Chapek did say that moving “Mulan” to the streaming network was a one-time thing and does not mean that Disney will be releasing all future movies this way. However, they will be keeping a close eye on the number of subscribers and how many opt to buy Mulan on the platform. If COVID-19 continues to be a problem, it is likely that more movies will have to be released this way. Film producer and entertainment consultant Kathryn Arnold stated that this wasn’t the ideal decision for Disney and their team, saying, “I don’t believe anyone set out to make a magnificent production such as ‘Mulan’ and have it only be seen on the small screen.”
The movie will cost $30 to view for everyone, regardless if someone already has a subscription to Disney+. This is Disney’s way of recouping the $200 million production budget and the $100 million marketing budget. It also helps people on a budget themselves, for the cost of the movie and having access to it on Disney+ is cheaper than taking a family of four to the movies. Instead of spending extra money on snacks and drinks, people can watch it in the comfort of their living rooms with their own homemade treats.
While this may not be how everyone thought movies were going to be, it is the new reality. No one knows what the future will hold, but just know that Disney has a plan when it comes to movies.
