After postponing the Mulan reboot indefinitely a few weeks ago, Disney+ has officially decided upon a tactic to release what was designed to be a late-March blockbuster. According to Deadline’s report about Disney’s latest earning call, CEO Bob Chepak accounced that the movie will soon open in international theaters where possible (such as China). However, the U.S. strategy (given the obvious situation at hand) means that theaters simply aren’t a feasible option, so Disney’s laying down their law on Mulan.
On September 4, the film will come to Disney+ as a premium VOD. This will happen for a substantial price point: $29.99.
That’s a rental fee (described as being on a “premiere access basis”), not a purchase price. Presumably, purchase options will be something that’s addressed further down the line. Chepak also relayed that this Disney+/VOD move is only a one-off (so don’t get any ideas about Black Widow) and not meant to predict anything about how the studio will handle streaming and theatrical windows in the future; Disney is simply considering new distribution angles for this pandemic. More from Chepak via CNBC:
“We see this as an opportunity to bring this incredible film to a broad audience, currently unable to go to movie theaters, while also further enhancing the value and attractiveness of a Disney+ subscription with this great content.”
The $29.99 price will certainly save a family of four money while viewing at home (especially if one considers concessions), but it’s not news that theaters will relish hearing. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is still planning on rolling out Tenet globally, including in some U.S. markets, beginning in a few short weeks.