'Mulan' to be sold on Disney+ in September (original) (raw)

Published on August 4, 2020 05:48PM EDT

Finally, fans will get the chance to see if Mulan was a girl worth fighting waiting for.

On Tuesday during an earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced plans to debut the live-action adaptation of Mulan on Disney+ beginning Sept. 4. Unlike the other titles on the Disney streaming service, Mulan will be a rental, offered to at-home audiences for $29.99. The rental will be available in most Disney+ markets including the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and select countries in Western Europe.

In markets where there is no Disney+ presence and theaters are open, Disney plans to release the film theatrically.

Mulan's Disney+ debut date coincides with the planned theatrical release of Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated Tenet.

Mulan's release had been delayed several times due to the shutdown of theaters around the world as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Originally slated for a March 27 release, Mulan was one of the first tentpole titles to delay its debut in theaters around the world due to COVID. Disney first moved the release to July 24 and then bumped it again to Aug. 21 before delaying the release indefinitely.

"In order to meet the needs of consumers during this unpredictable period, we thought it was important to find alternative ways to bring this exceptional family-friendly film to them in a timely manner," Chapek said on the call. "We see this as an opportunity to bring this incredible film to a broad audience currently unable to go to movie theaters, while also further enhancing the value and attractiveness of a Disney+ subscription with this great content."

Disney previously released Hamilton on its streaming platform, bumping the originally slated theatrical release up by more than a year. Early in the pandemic, the studio moved Artemis Fowl to Disney+ as well. Mulan has been one of the markers of the constantly changing theatrical marketplace during COVID-19 and the decision to go the streaming route is a major decision on Disney's part. It remains to be seen if other studios' tentpoles slated for August release will follow suit.

Related content: