‘Mulan’ live-action film to debut on Disney+ this September

During today’s Q3FY20 earnings call for Disney, CEO Bob Chapek shared that the much-delayed theatrical release of the live-action reimagining of “Mulan” would instead be debuting on Disney+ this September.

mulan

The film will make its theatrical debut on the streaming service on Sept. 4 as a “premium” video-on-demand option (PVOD) — meaning that subscribers will have to pay an extra fee to see the film on top of their current subscription cost for Disney+. Chapek confirmed today that the release will be priced at $29.99.

If you love visiting your local movie theater for the latest releases, likely the first thing you’ll think of upon learning this news is, “What does this mean for future theatrical releases? Is this the end of ‘going to the movies’?”

For now, the answer is no.

During the earnings call, Chapek said that the direct-to-consumer release of “Mulan” is a “one-off” situation, meaning that this doesn’t immediately signal the end of theatrical releases as we know them and that Disney fans shouldn’t expect this for other delayed releases this year, like Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow.” However, he did note that it was “interesting” that they will be able to test out this release method and see how it does with subscribers to the service.

As far as what the $29.99 will get you exactly, it appears that this isn’t going to be your average movie rental. According to CNN Media Reporter Frank Pallotta on Twitter, the additional cost will provide ongoing access to the film so long as the purchaser is a subscriber to Disney+:

https://twitter.com/frankpallotta/status/1290821163430576128?s=10

Plans are still in place for “Mulan” to hit select theaters that are open if possible, so the film will at least get some kind of a normal theatrical run in addition to its PVOD status on Disney+.

What do you think about moving “Mulan” to Disney+ for its release? Would you pay $30 to watch a first-run movie from the comfort of home? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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3 Comments

  1. I’ve been waiting for Mulan so yes I’ll pay. I mean, Disney is still in the business of making money while providing quality products. It will be bad for all us Disney fans if they don’t think outside the box and adapt to the new “normal”. And in reality for families it will still be cheaper than the theater.

  2. The big issue is……..how much longer can the movie theater chains limp along without ANY revenue? It this really fair to them? What about Disney’s contractual obligations? I love going to the movie theater; I’m so worried that we may lose them forever!