Well, those of you who have been asking for Disney to release Mulan on Disney+ are getting your wish. Hope you’re ready to pay for it.
During an investor call today, Disney’s Bob Chapek revealed that the live-action Mulan will hit Disney+ on September 4th…for an additional “premiere” fee of $29.99. This date is in response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the film to be pulled from the release schedule indefinitely. In countries where Disney+ is not available, Mulan will continue to open in theaters.
This is all in response to Warner Bros. decision to open Tenet on September 2nd through a staggered release plan internationally and in the U.S. Christopher Nolan’s thriller has been the guidepost for the rest of Hollywood, and we see Disney shaping its strategy to reflect a tricky situation. There is simply no guarantee of anything theatrical right now, domestically or abroad. Mulan is a movie that is expected to be a huge hit, but it will need foreign box office to succeed.
The question is whether American audiences will be willing to pay such a huge fee for Mulan? I think this question has been asked and answered already with the successes of Trolls World Tour and Scoob. When it comes to family movies, which Mulan should be considered, the price has not been an obstacle.
*UPDATE* A source has told Insider that Mulan’s $29.99 price tag allows for “continuous access to the film for as long as they remain subscribers to the service.” So this isn’t a one-time purchase and perhaps makes spending that much a bit easier to swallow.
