The pandemic has prompted Disney to premiere the much-delayed Mulan film on the streaming service Disney+. However, interested moviegoers will have to pay an extra $29.99 to view the movie once it's released on Sept. 4.
In an earnings call on Tuesday, company executives described the decision to premiere a blockbuster Disney film on the internet as a “one-off.” Nevertheless, the company is curious to see how the film will perform.
“We find it very interesting to take a new offering—our premiere access offering—to consumers at that $29.99 price and learn from it,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said.
The company wants to both see whether Mulan will drive more subscribers to Disney+, and if a large number of consumers will pay the high ticket price, he added.
During the same call, executives said Disney+ now has 60.5 million paying subscribers. If 10 million members pay $29.99 to watch the film, Disney could make $300 million—significantly more than Mulan’s reported $200 million budget.
Mulan was originally slated to debut in March. However, COVID-19 and the ensuing closures of theaters across the US has forced major movie studios to delay their blockbusters. As a result, there’s been growing talk about whether the theater industry will survive, and if Hollywood will be forced to release its films online.
Last week, Universal Pictures signed a historic deal with AMC Theatres, allowing it to premiere new films on the internet a mere 17 days after their theatrical release.
If Mulan does well at the virtual box office, it'll deal another blow to the struggling theater industry. However, according to Variety, Disney still plans on premiering Mulan theatrically in markets where Disney+ remains unavailable.
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