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Mulan Is Skipping A Theatre Release, Will Go Straight To Disney Plus

With an added rental fee.

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.

(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.

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.

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.

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

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