It was sort of the inevitable result, with super-hyped Disney live-action remake, Mulan, being pushed to a Diseny Plus global release. The news comes despite Disney’s efforts to try and go ahead with a July 2020 theatrical release.
Sadly it does mean for all you film fans out there, that you wont get to experience an all time childhood fave in comfy recliners and overpriced popcorn (unless your rents are BOUJEE). The film is set to be released on the platform on September 4th, 2020.
But get ready to spend, because it’s believed that you’ll have to fork out around AUD$40 (USD$29.99) to rent the film – on top of your usual $8.99 monthly fee. So you’ll still have to round up the group chat to make it feel worth the investment.
And while it’s not crazy to see why it’s priced so high (given a ticket to the movies is usually what $10-$20), the memes are real.
not disney trying to sell me a mushu-less, non-musical mulan for $30 on an app i already pay money for ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/KVfULM2vHI
— joe (@maloonds) August 4, 2020
30 dollars for a Mulan with no songs and no Mushu and no movie theater experience HAHAHAHA yeaaaa it’s a no disney pic.twitter.com/wJcbF6krep
— ????? ? (@d3jah_vu) August 4, 2020
If you think I’m paying $30 to digitally rent a Mulan movie that isn’t even a musical…. pic.twitter.com/f6ReXxIwQB
— taylor (@tailorelaine) August 4, 2020
We’re going to see this make a comeback when Disney releases Mulan or Black Widow on Disney Plus for $30: pic.twitter.com/bTxstLOYuD
— Cinememes (@Cinememes_) August 4, 2020
(Just low-key btw, didn’t those Piracy It’s A Crime videos just make you feel like such a badass for pirating movies and tv? Bring em back I say.)
And I guess that’s the thing about actually going to the movies, right? It’s an experience. You get the big-fuck-off screen, the ridiculous Dolby surround sound (is it still Dolby?? Someone pls confirm), you get the banter, you get the snacks. All of which just can’t quite be replicated at home.
Maybe the most disappointing thing about the lack of a theatrical release though, is the fact that the massive Asian cast in this film won’t get the widespread promotion.
I wasn’t particularly interested in “Mulan” but it’s a bummer that a film of this scope, with an Asian cast, won’t have its due – a worldwide theatrical release. We should all pay close attention to the movies whose theatrical releases are protected and those that are not. https://t.co/FmhGhrQx4z
— Nia DaCosta (@NiaDaCosta) August 4, 2020
Tzi Ma talks about playing the father of #Mulan: “He’s a unique father because in the Chinese culture, obviously, boys are more important than girls… His feeling is that he’s blessed with these daughters” https://t.co/WD5ZfLFisP pic.twitter.com/D3FtipfXYk
— Variety (@Variety) August 4, 2020
Even if there is a bit of a sub-plot, with lead actress Liu Yifei apparently being a supporter of police brutality in regards to Hong Kong clashes earlier this year.
A friendly reminder that actress for Mulan, Liu Yifei, supported the police brutality in Hong Kong and the subjugation of the protesters. Don’t watch this movie https://t.co/uE9d384VGO
— Saberspark (@Saberspark) August 4, 2020
The interesting thing here though, is could this be the future of films? With COVID-19 showing no signs of slowing down, and cinemas already having lost tonnes of cash as a result – are straight-to-TV-films set to be a new thing?
Disney CEO Bob Chapek says it isn’t, and that the Mulan release is being treated as a bit of a one-off in terms of this unique release.
“We’re looking at Mulan as a one-off as opposed to saying there’s some new business windowing model that we’re looking at,” he said.
But, this whole idea is gathering momentum – with AMC Theatres and Universal striking a deal in the US. It’s a deal that would allow viewers to watch new release movies at home via streaming platforms only 17 days after having released in cinemas. And I mean, that’s a massive game changer.
For context, movies usually are required to be in theatres for around two to three months before they can start making their way (slowly) to Blu-Ray, DVD (is that still a thing?!), Streaming services etc. So it’s pretty clear that cinemas are hurting, and are pivoting amidst COVID-19 restrictions.
The Mulan news could weirdly create a new film release model:
– Film plays in theaters for ~ 4 weeks (AMC/Universal deal)
– Film then goes exclusively to streaming service at premium price for a TK amount of time
– Film then goes to regular PVOD maybe months later for like $10
— Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) August 5, 2020
This is 100% a shot across the bow of Universal and AMC. Get ready for the studio and theater wars. Changing alliances on a weekly basis. It will end with Disney owning all movie theaters (jk, maybe).https://t.co/jJjJu1uMzT
— Film Trace (@film_trace) August 4, 2020
It certainly feels like studios and theatres could be set for a bit of a clash, as they try and decide who gets how much coin, of a very limited amount.
Either way, I’m still personally hyped for Mulan – even if 2020 continues to put a dampener on it.
Image Source: Disney
