“Mulan” Heading to Disney+ This September
We were really, really excited for director Niki Caro’s upcoming live-action remake of Mulan to hit theaters. This was, of course, before COVID-19 raged across the planet. Due to the pandemic, Caro’s epic, originally scheduled for a March 27 release, now becomes the first big-budget potential blockbuster to forgo a major theatrical run. Instead, Mulan will head to Disney+ and select theaters simultaneously on September 4.
This warrior’s tale told with the kind of sweeping, epic grandeur the story deserves has already earned major praise from critics who saw screenings way back in early March. Mulan will now become a part of Disney+’s new “Premium Tier,” which will cost an extra $29.99 as a one-time fee on top of your subscription fee. This new release model is only happening in the United States and Canada—international audiences will still get a chance to see the film in theaters.
Will this set a new precedent for big films going forward? It’s too early to tell, but the decision is a big one. Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek has said this release strategy for Mulan is not a blueprint for the future or a signal that the studio plans on bypassing theaters in the future.
What this move undoubtedly is, however, is a simple recognition of the reality of our current situation in the United Staes. The pandemic is still rampaging throughout the country, and theater chains remain closed with no reliable opening date in the near future. Mulan is the type of film we all wanted to see on the biggest screen possible, but that’s simply not possible right now. Caro’s impassioned remake joins a host of other big films, from Cate Shortland’s Black Widow to Christopher Nolan’s Tenet to Cary Fukunaga’s No Time To Die, that have seen their releases pushed back and, in the case of Tenet, dramatically re-strategized. This is our world right now.
For more on Mulan (and as an added incentive to see the film at home if you’re living in the U.S. or Canada), see below:
Early Mulan Reactions Praise a Stunning Live-Action Remake
Mulan Featurette Explores the Film’s Sensational Stunts
New Images From Mulan Reveal Epic Warrior’s Tale
Featured image: Disney’s MULAN..Mulan (Yifei Liu). Photo: Jasin Boland. © 2019 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
