After months of delays, Disney has announced that the live-action remake of ‘Mulan’ will go to theaters AND Disney+ on September 4, however, unlike ‘Artemis Fowl’ or ‘Hamilton’, it won’t be free. In fact, it will be more expensive than previous PVOD releases. In addition to their regular monthly fee, ‘Mulan’ will cost subscribers $29.99 in US dollars. It will be released in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other territories that currently offer Disney+. It will be released in theaters in areas where Disney+ is not available.
This is the first time that Disney+ has offered a premium movie with an added price attached. [UPDATE: Those that “rent” ‘Mulan’ at this price will have access to it for the entire duration of their subscription to Disney+, so in many ways, it’s essentially a purchase.]
During a shareholder conference call, CEO Bob Chapek stated:
“We’re pleased to bring Mulan to a consumer base that’s been waiting for it as we’ve had to move our (release) dates several times…We’re looking at Mulan as a one-off as opposed trying to say that there’s a new business windowing model.”
Meaning, for the time being, don’t expect Disney to follow suit with ‘Black Widow’. Yet.
The decision to release ‘Mulan’ simultaneously in international theaters and on Disney+ had to have been a crushing one, as its budget was a massive $200 million, and it follows last year’s ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Aladdin’, both of which grossed over $1 billion at the global box office. Disney surely had similar expectations for ‘Mulan’. But this also comes as Disney is reporting massive losses due to the closures of its theme parks. While Disney is generally viewed as having more money than God, that money comes from a certain revenue stream, and the coronavirus has clamped that shut.
‘Mulan’ was originally supposed to open on March 27, 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Disney to delay its released multiple times. Most recently, it was scheduled for August 21, but just weeks ago, Disney removed it from its schedule entirely. The constant delays surely dampened some of the excitement that fans might have had for this adaptation’s theatrical release.
This isn’t the only Disney movie that has been postponed due to COVID-19. Most notably, all of the Marvel, ‘Avatar’, and ‘Star Wars’ movies for the next several years have been delayed, along with Fox leftover ‘The New Mutants’, action-comedy ‘Free Guy’ starring Ryan Reynolds, the fifth ‘Indiana Jones’, and Pixar’s ‘Soul’, among many other pictures from Disney’s numerous subsidiaries in various budgets and genres.
Check back for updates as they become available! Are you excited that ‘Mulan’ is coming to Disney+? Or is the price too steep?
