Why Disney’s next 2 films will not be released on Disney+ Premier Access
The next two films being released by Disney will only debut in theaters. They will not be released simultaneously on Disney+ Premier Access, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said during today’s earnings call.
“We said from the very beginning that we value flexibility in being able to make as many last-minute calls that we can given what you see in the marketplace. Certainly, when we planned our schedule that we’re executing right now we did not anticipate, nor did anybody the resurgence of COVID as well as the marketplace impact,” Chapek said.
Disney’s latest decision on how to release the films is coming as Scarlett Johansson has filed suit against the Walt Disney Co. for breach of contract for releasing “Black Widow” on Disney+ the same time it debuted in theaters. Much of Johansson’s salary for the movie was based on an exclusive theatrical release when she signed her deal with Marvel.
“Obviously, this world has been disrupted by COVID. We’re all reacting to the fluid situation in terms of the marketplace,” Chapek said. “Certainly this is a time of anxiety in the marketplace. A lot has changed. The films releasing were imagined under a completely different environment than unfortunately, the fate has delivered us.”
The next two movies coming out is “Free Guy” from 20th Century being released Aug. 13 and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” from Marvel, being released Sept. 3.
Chapek then went on to explain the reasoning behind the theatrical-only releases. “Free Guy” was acquired under the 20th Century purchase and came with certain distribution assumptions and set of agreements. “We don’t have the degree of freedom on ‘Free Guy,'” Chapek said.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” distribution is “going to be an interesting experiment,” Chapek said. There is now only a 45-day window between when a film is released in the theaters and when it will appear on Disney+. This will be another data point “to inform our actions going forward on our titles,” he said.
