Disney + gives up releasing its films simultaneously in theaters and on SVOD

Disney films will now be released in theaters before arriving on the Disney + platform. The studio has indeed announced that its strategy related to the management of Covid-19 is no longer relevant, the cinemas having resumed their classic operation across the Atlantic. This measure does not concern France, in any case blocked by the archaic chronology of the media.

Black Widow, Jungle Cruise, Cruella, Mulan, Soul … all these films have one thing in common: they were to benefit from a theatrical release, but ultimately had a simultaneous release on Disney + because of the measures linked to Covid-19. A practice that has repercussions for operators and even actors (Scarlett Johansson paid the price). Disney has finally announced that everything would now return to normal.

Thus, the next films of Mickey’s firm will first be shown in cinemas before arriving on the platform. The first concerned is the animated film Encanto. Its theatrical release is scheduled for November 24, and it will arrive December 24 on Disney +.

Subsequently, subscribers will have to wait 45 days before discovering a cinema film at home. This concerns blockbusters like West Side Story, The Last Duel or all the Marvel Studios movies. Moreover, Shang-Chi has only been released in the cinema in the United States for the moment, serving as a (successful) experiment.

Disney +, HBO Max, streaming platforms took advantage of the crisis

Note that Disney is not the only studio to have bet on streaming during this period. Warner is broadcasting all of its 2021 blockbusters on HBO Max in the United States. Godzilla vs King Kong, Suicide Squad or Dune are concerned. Here again, this policy will not be renewed.

This pandemic will have been an interesting field of experimentation for Hollywood who saw the power of platforms. One would have thought that these methods could be applied over time, even after the end of the crisis. However, we will return to the good old cinema output system, the magic of dark rooms (and the revenues generated) being stronger.

In France, we were not concerned by this question because of the chronology of the media. Black Widow, for example, has been released exclusively in theaters and we’ll have to wait until 2024 to see it on Disney +. Same condemnation for Shang-Chi, who will not be able to arrive on the service after 45 days as is the case in the USA.