Yesterday, Disney announced that it would be releasing the live-action remake of Mulan on its streaming platform Disney+ on September 4. Anyone with a Disney+ account will be able to rent the film for $29.99 on top of their monthly subscription of $6.99.
Mulan’s Video-On-Demand (VOD) release was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic as most theaters throughout the country remain closed. The movie was originally delayed from its March release to later in the summer before it was postponed indefinitely. Other Disney films that have been pushed back due to the pandemic include the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Widow (Nov. 6), Jungle Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt (July 30, 2021), and the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise (July 29, 2022).
Disney made it clear that Mulan skipping its theatrical release and going straight to VOD wasn’t something fans should get used to.
“We’re looking at Mulan as a one-off as opposed to saying there’s some new business windowing model that we’re looking at,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said. Mulan is a test run to see if this type of release proves lucrative, even though the film had a staggering budget of roughly $200 million.
While Mulan is the biggest film to go straight to VOD release, it isn’t the first. Earlier this summer, Trolls World Tour went straight to VOD and was available to rent for $20. While it might not have been as successful as it could’ve been if released in theaters, it made enough money for industry analysts to question whether more movies should be released on demand sooner.
Though Mulan is a highly anticipated film, will people pay $30 to see it? At first glance, the $29.99 rental fee might seem excessive compared to the price for a movie ticket. However, the price tag is likely Disney’s way of compensating for the amount of people watching the film. Mulan is a movie for younger audiences, so rentals would likely include parents watching with their children. As the pandemic continues to limit most recreational activities, watching a new Disney movie might be one of the few activities families can do together (or the only thing that can distract children from bothering their parents). Since movie tickets for one person can be as expensive as $18, paying $30 for four people might feel like a steal for some.
Black is King was free. And they think ima pay $30 for Mulan… pic.twitter.com/UlT6UH0lJc
— masculine sissy (@dntkrossme) August 4, 2020
Before the pandemic, movie theaters were already struggling to stay afloat as tickets got more expensive and streaming more popular. Now they’re forced to shutter their doors for months during the most profitable time of the year. As more studios consider releasing their films exclusively on-demand, it is plausible that movie theaters will also become victims of the coronavirus.