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NEW YORK (AP) – After endless disruption due to the pandemic and the meteoric growth of streaming services, cinema may be returning to something a little normal.
The Walt Disney Co. announced on Friday that all of its remaining films this year will open exclusively in theaters. This includes the Marvel release “Eternals” (November 5), “The Last Duel” by Ridley Scott (October 15), the animated release “Ron’s Gone Wrong” (October 22), “West Side Story” by Steven Spielberg (December 10 ) and the Kingsman sequel “The King’s Man” (December 22).
All films will run for a minimum of 45 days in theaters before being released. The animated fantasy “Encanto” (November 24) will head to Disney + after 30 days.
Disney’s move comes after a year in which the studio, with a few notable exceptions like the recent hit “Free Guy,” featured many of its releases both in theaters and on Disney + in so-called “day and night” releases. dated”. This included the Marvel movie “Black Widow,” after which star Scarlett Johansson sued Disney, alleging that the approach of the day and date had severed her contract and deprived her of potential income. Disney said the release was in line with Johansson’s contract and called the lawsuit without merit.
But it increasingly appears that the days can be numbered for the day and the date, at least when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters. Warner Bros., which released all of its 2021 films simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, has pledged to return to exclusive theatrical releases next year. A pandemic shift is sure to linger – shorter theatrical releases, as the traditional 90-day window has fallen to 45 days or less for most studios.
Disney’s strategies come under special scrutiny due to its huge influence in the industry as Hollywood’s biggest studio. Disney made up 38% of domestic films in 2019. But its commitment to theatrical releases was certainly a huge relief for movie theater owners and a sign of a return to normalcy in films this fall.
Date-and-date releases have proliferated during the pandemic as studios have turned to beefing up their home streaming services and compensating for declining ticket sales. Theater owners have said it sacrifices millions at the box office and can deter a film’s cultural impact.
And, lately, box office returns – even during the recent coronavirus wave – have been promising. Disney’s “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” broke the record for Labor Day openings last weekend, earning $ 90 million over the four-day weekend. Many in the industry have taken this as proof of the power of a theatrical-only release and a positive sign for the fall film season. Sony Pictures immediately moved forward with the release of its Marvel sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”.
“Following the huge box office success of our summer films which included five of the top eight domestic releases of the year, we are delighted to update our theatrical plans for the remainder of 2021,” Kareem said. Daniel, president of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. , in a report. “As confidence in the cinema continues to improve, we look forward to entertaining audiences in theaters, while retaining the flexibility to give our Disney + subscribers the gift of Encanto this holiday season. . “
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