Orion Pictures

‘Bill & Ted’ might be facing ‘The Music’, but Orion Pictures’ comedic reunion won’t face off against ‘Mulan’.  Two days ago, Disney made the bombshell announcement that the long-delayed live-action adaptation of ‘Mulan’ would only be released in theaters in places that did not have access to Disney+.  That means that in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and other places that do have access, the film will skip cinemas for a PVOD (premium video on demand) release on September 4.  Disney+ subscribers will be able to stream ‘Mulan’ straight to their homes for the price of $29.99 (USD).  That may seem like a lot, but users will be able to watch ‘Mulan’ over and over to their heart’s desire for as long as they remain subscribed to Disney+.  It’s also pretty close to what two adult tickets would cost at a normal evening screening, and you won’t even have to spend an extra $40 on concessions.

‘Mulan’s production budget is reported to be approximately $200 million, so Disney needs to make at least twice that to break even.  This is a risky venture, but the company needs to do what it can to curb the billions it’s losing this year due to COVID-19 shutdowns, particularly, the closure of its theme parks.

In late July, Orion Pictures announced a plan to release ‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ on September 1, a Tuesday.  The plan was to open the comedy in theaters and as a PVOD simultaneously, allowing fans to choose whether they wanted to risk seeing it on the big screen or in the safety of their own homes.  Now, ‘Bill & Ted’ will face another delivery date– August 28.  If you’ve been keeping track, you know that was the film’s previous release date.

The news was delivered to fans by star Alex Winter on Twitter:

In this date, ‘Bill & Ted’ are up against Disney’s ‘The New Mutants’, which is still scheduled to hit theaters on the very same date, with no plans announced for an alternate release (PVOD or otherwise).

Meanwhile, Warner Brothers’ ‘Tenet’ is still expected to debut in cinemas only on September 3.  That sort of puts it in competition with ‘Mulan’, as most viewers will choose either-or– stay home and stream ‘Mulan’ or go to the theaters and possibly get sick to see ‘Tenet’.  It is possible that WB will shift ‘Tenet’ in response to Disney’s announcement, but… that would be like a sign of weakness.  So they probably won’t.  (But maybe they will.)

So mark your calendars!

Friday, August 28:

‘Bill & Ted Face the Music’ opens in theaters and will be available as a PVOD.
‘New Mutants’ opens in theaters only

Thursday, September 3:

‘Tenet’ opens in theaters only.

Friday, September 4:

‘Mulan’ will be released as a PVOD only on Disney+ in regions that offer that service.  In theaters elsewhere.

 

Source: Deadline