Disney has been aggressive about moving some of their biggest theatrical films of 2020 over to Disney+ exclusively, as part of an overall plan to lean heavier on streaming. Mulan, Artemis Fowl, and Soul were poised to be huge hits before finding new life digitally. But how far does this streaming option go? What films are they eyeing a similar move for? Some pretty big ones, it turns out, and yet one is completely off the table for now.
Deadline reports Disney is considering a straight-to-streaming release for a select group of movies. Unsurprisingly, this has focused on their live-action remakes such as Cruella, Peter Pan & Wendy, and Pinocchio. Disney+ has sorta become the unofficial home of their family-friendly films so this makes the most sense. With theaters unlikely to be back to normal anytime soon, despite a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, Disney has to consider what’s best for the long haul, and this is a good way to bring in new subscribers.
That said, don’t expect to see Black Widow as a Disney+ exclusive. Not yet, anyway. That’s the one film that isn’t even being considered right now. A year-long delay has it opening May 7th 2021, so Disney has time to wait on a final decision. But how long are they going to be willing to keep such a significant Marvel project on the shelf?
