In a new development in the American and international film market, Disney decided to release the expected movie and one of its biggest productions for this year, "Mulan", through its own platform for electronic broadcasting (Disney Plus), on September 4.
The original release date of the movie was March 27, and it was postponed more than once, before Disney announced that it had been removed from its shows last week.
The company believes that the launch of this epic and highly awaited movie will drive the boom of its online platform for on-demand viewing and ensure more new subscribers receive, and at the same time it will represent a test balloon to know the true size of viewers wishing to replace live shows in the cinema halls with home ones.
Contrary to the content available on the Disney Plus platform, the movie "Mulan" will not be available directly to the subscribers of the platform, and those wishing to watch the movie will have to pay a rental fee of $ 29.9, in addition to the regular monthly subscription value of $ 6.99, while in the country Where Disney Plus is not available, the film will be traditionally released in theaters.
In a statement to Variety, Bob Chaplic, CEO of Disney, said that this decision cannot be considered as a new business model, but it is an exceptional decision for this film and this case only, even if it appears otherwise.
Chapec's remarks imply hinting that theater owners will not turn their backs on Disney, and will not divert from exclusive cinematic shows for theaters for a sufficient period before the television or electronic launch, especially as it has a relatively large share of the US market.
However, we do not rule out the intrusion of Chwebek intending to show the pulse of the exhibitors to extrapolate the situation and make subsequent decisions regarding a large number of films that have been postponed time after time since the beginning of the pandemic and the closure of theaters.
And Chaabic expressed this without hesitation when he added, however, that "Disney seeks to learn from this experience, and to ensure whether the revenues that" Mulan "will achieve from the home show are good enough to repeat the experience with other films."
Disney's decision represents a major shift in the commercial model known as Video on Demand, as it differs from the model followed by all competitors, and it is more profitable for the platform, which represents 500% in addition to the value of the regular monthly subscription.
On the other hand, this decision raised many reservations about the viewer's / consumer purchasing power, especially as unemployment rates due to the Corona pandemic rose to rates that approached their theory of the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Disney's decision comes a few days after the release of "AMC Theaters" and "Universal" companies, a resounding surprise by announcing an agreement to submit a home show for some movies just 17 days after the theatrical show, while the custom The prevailing in the United States requires that the theatrical offer be limited to a full 90 days before the electronic or home offering through any of the various media such as electronic platforms, satellite channels and embedded copies, a decision that the two companies considered an unavoidable development in the movie distribution market.
And Disney's decision to launch the movie "Mulan" through the offer-on-demand model indicates the company’s tendency to increase dependence on the Disney Plus platform at a time when most of the company's commercial activities such as theme parks, movie theaters, and store chains were dealt a severe blow because of the severe economic crisis caused by the Corona pandemic .
Chapec says that offering a huge work like "Mulan" on the online platform will provide an incentive for many to participate in the platform, as it will also represent an opportunity to recover part of the original investment in the film.
The budget for the movie "Mulan" was $ 200 million, as well as a few million more spent on a massive advertising campaign worldwide.
On the other hand, Disney's decision is an additional indication of diminishing exhibitors' confidence in the complete and safe restart of cinemas in the near future, especially to meet the needs of large-budget businesses and mass production.
Days before Disney raised the movie "Mulan" from the show plan, Warner Bros Studios uploaded "Tenet" from her schedule, a science fiction movie directed by famous American director Christopher Nolan, and is expected to start showing The film is international as of August 26, to be screened in a limited number of cities in the United States, starting on September 3.
"Mulan" is a live version of the classic 1999 animated movie, which tells the legend of the Chinese warrior Mulan who disguises himself in men's uniforms to absolve her elderly father from military service and participation in war.
The movie was expected to achieve great commercial success, especially since it was planned to be widely released in Chinese theaters, but the winds of Corona came as the world’s film ships did not desire, led by Disney.