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As cinema slowly begins to rebound in the United States, it looks like Hollywood studios are not yet ready to release their biggest blockbuster hopes to the big screen.
All this to say that Disney has massively revamped its upcoming roster and altered release plans for “Black Widow,” “Cruella,” by Emma Stone, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” and “Luca” by Pixar and several others.
Notably, “Black Widow” and “Cruella” will now premiere on Disney Plus at the same time they open in theaters. “Cruella” arrives as scheduled on May 28, while “Black Widow” has been pushed back two months and will debut on July 9 instead of May 7. Both titles will be offered on Premier Access, with a rental fee of $ 30.
The schedule change for “Black Widow” means that Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” which was previously slated for July, has been pushed back to September 3. It should have a traditional indoor release.
Meanwhile, Pixar’s animated coming-of-age adventure “Luca” will not hit theaters and will launch exclusively on Disney Plus, at no additional cost, on June 18.
Despite the massive switch to streaming, Disney has no plans to abandon theaters entirely. Many smaller titles, mostly inherited from the 20th century, have been postponed but will only bow on the big screen, including “Free Guy” (August 13), “The King’s Man” (December 22), “Deep Water ”(January 14, 2022) and“ Death on the Nile ”(February 11, 2022).
Kareem Daniel, President of Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, said the announcement “reflects our commitment to providing choice to consumers and responding to changing audience preferences.”
“By leveraging a flexible distribution strategy in a dynamic market that is beginning to recover from the global pandemic, we will continue to use the best options to bring The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled storytelling to fans and families around the world. “, did he declare.
Earlier in the pandemic, the Disney remake “Mulan” hit theaters and launched on Disney Plus for an additional fee. Disney hasn’t released any viewership numbers on the streaming offerings, but company CEO Bob Chapek has hinted the studio will continue to experiment with release plans as the global theatrical market remains weakened.
Among film exhibitors and studio executives, optimism has grown in recent weeks as theaters in Los Angeles and New York begin to reopen. However, the capacity is capped at 25% (i.e. 100 people per auditorium in Los Angeles and 50 per auditorium in New York). This notably restricts the sale of tickets, making it virtually impossible for big budget films to make a profit only in theaters. Marvel films regularly cost over $ 200 million to produce.
Disney has postponed its slate, including several Marvel titles, on several occasions amid the pandemic. The studio saw firsthand how the US market is recovering, recently releasing “Raya and the Last Dragon,” an animated adventure aimed at family audiences, in theaters and on Disney Plus for a fee. The film grossed $ 23.4 million in the United States and $ 71 million globally, which is modest by pandemic standards. But it would be financially damaging for “Black Widow” or Shang-Chi “, in the event that these titles reproduced the results of” Raya and the Last Dragon “.
Still, Hollywood studios aren’t betting entirely against the summer movie season. Disney and its rivals hope the general public will feel more comfortable returning to recreational activities, such as going to the movies, as more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine. To that end, Paramount upped the release of “A Quiet Place Part II” from September to May 28, while Universal slightly exceeded “F9” from May to June 25.
“Black Widow” stars Scarlett Johansson and takes place after the events of “Captain America: Civil War” in 2016. It was originally scheduled for May 2020, but has been delayed three times amid the pandemic. As Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff finds herself on her own, she is forced to face a dangerous plot tied to her former life as a spy, long before she becomes an Avenger. Cate Shortland directed the film, the 24th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Florence Pugh and David Harbor complete the cast.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” highlights Simu Liu as the eponymous superhero, who struggles with his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings Organization. The film, which has also been rebounded a few times over the past year, stars Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Ronny Chieng, and Michelle Yeoh.
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