Despite the backlash from theaters over the decision to release Mulan via Disney Plus, the Mouse House are reportedly now planning to put out more titles through PVOD on the service. According to Murphy’s Multiverse’s Edward Rose, an enquiry to the streamer’s support team has apparently confirmed that there will be further movies coming through this method in the future, opening the door to potential blockbusters like Black Widow.
In what represents some effective sleuthing, Rose decided to contact the D+ Help Center to ask about the value of the $29.99 additional “Premier Access” fee to watch Mulan, which comes on top of a regular subscription. And his exchange revealed that there will be more options available through the premium add-on, without giving much away as to what these will be.
Follow-up conversations with Disney Plus operators and digging into other sources then revealed that Mulan is the only film being provided with the extra payment “for now,” but that everything is seemingly set up for there being more movies put out in the same way. Of course, it’s probably best to wait until we get an official announcement on this, but it’s clear that online debuts for future releases aren’t off the table.
The performance of Mulan, which will be out on September 4th, will be a significant test of whether D+ subscribers are willing to fork over the high fee to watch these kinds of pictures at home. It may turn out to be that people are simply put off by the steep price point, but if enough are prepared to splash out on a blockbuster, then there’ll be solid justification to repeat the tactic with upcoming releases.
With the lockdown still creating an uncertain atmosphere for increasingly stressed cinema chain owners faced with the rise of Disney Plus, the next few months could be a real turning point for how major studios approach traditional theatrical distribution windows.