Disney+ Subscribers To Get 'Mulan' At No Extra Cost In December
As the global coronavirus pandemic continues to rage all over the world, the film and entertainment industry is finding creative ways to adapt to the new normal. Disney, for its part, is turning to its Disney+ streaming service as a venue for its most recent release, Mulan.
The Verge reports that Disney+ will be charging viewers an additional $29.99 early-access fee on top of the streaming service’s $6.99 monthly subscription fee if they decide to watch it once it releases on the streaming service on Sept. 4. However, the publication also noticed that the movie’s Disney+ page says the movie will be available to all subscribers by Dec. 4.
The three-month window is the shortest one for a Disney release, according to The Verge. It usually takes several months before a new film finds itself in the Disney+ catalog, but the publication speculates that the global coronavirus pandemic has upended the usual order of things.
Variety points out that this new development comes after Disney decided to not screen Mulan in theaters due to numerous premiere delays brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic. Before this decision, Disney had moved Mulan’s premiere date multiple times. Initially set to premiere on Mar. 27, it was moved to July 24 and then Aug. 21.
Before the announcement that Mulan would be streaming on Disney+ instead, Disney had reiterated that they intend to premiere Mulan in theaters. Disney’s chief creative officer and co-chairman, Alan Horn, as well as his co-chairman Alan Bergman, had even put out a statement declaring that Mulan deserved to be seen in theaters.
Variety also points out that the early-access to Mulan isn’t something that is available to all Disney+ subscribers. Because of opposition from theater owners in France, Mulan will only be available on Disney+ France on Dec. 4.
Other movies that have had their release dates changed include No Time To Die, In the Heights, Wonder Woman 1984, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Eternals, Morbius, Black Widow, Raya and the Last Dragon, F9, Soul, and Top Gun: Maverick.
Whether these films get to premiere in theaters or make a similar move to streaming services remains to be seen. According to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 dashboard, Sept. 2 saw 25,602,665 confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world. Deaths caused by COVID-19 worldwide are now at 852,758 people.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update for Sept. 2 pegs the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at 6,047,092. There are now 184,083 people that have died from COVID-19 in the United States.