Yesterday, Disney announced that, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mulan live action wasn’t going to be getting an official theatrical release.
Rather, fans would be able to catch the fantasy reimagining of the Disney classic on Disney Plus but for a hefty price on top of the monthly subscription fee. A hefty price of $30 USD (approximately $41 AUD + $8.99 for the monthly membership) to be exact.
And, naturally, people were pretty annoyed at the news.
But, in a series of tweets, 13 Reasons Why star Ross Butler has defended Disney’s video on demand plan for Mulan, admitting that it’s the only way the film can still make money.
“I understand the confusion for why we need to pay extra to watch Mulan on Disney+, but here are the facts,” Butler said. “Normally it would have come out in theatres and a family of four would have to pay 60+ dollars for everyone to watch. Now, you can watch for half that.”
“Unfortunately it won’t be on the big screen but we’re all still battling this pandemic and have social guidelines to follow. Also, Disney needs to make its money back for making the movie, which it can’t do if it’s just collecting subscriptions that everyone is paying for anyways.”
“In the end, we’re all trying to make ends meet,” he added.”I think the premium fee for watching Mulan is fair and Disney not taking a huge loss on it will allow them to continue making great movies. I know I’ll still be paying to watch it when it comes out. #Asian Pride.”
“I also understand it’s unfortunate for those who would have seen it by themselves or with one other. The ticket price is equal, if not a little less, but for a lesser experience. It sucks… I would have loved to see it in theatres too. But there are reasons on both sides.”
But, according to Verge reporter Julia Alexander, Mulan’s premium fee is not a “one-time deal,” despite Disney boss Bob Chapek claiming it was a “one off” yesterday. It may very well be the future of Disney films while we tackle this pandemic.
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