According to News.com.au, Disney will premiere its $200 million dollar blockbuster remake of the beloved animated film on Disney Plus on the 4th of September. But, unlike other recently released films on the platform like Hamilton and Artemis Fowl, Mulan won’t be included in the monthly subscription fee ($8.99).
To watch Mulan, you’ll have to pay a “premium rental” fee of $30 USD on top of the monthly sub. It’s unclear how much us Aussies will have to pay but the above fee is approximately $41 in AUD… which is a lot of money to watch one movie.
And, naturally, fans aren’t quite sure what to make of the news. On one hand, it’s great to be able to watch more films scheduled to release this year and from the safety of our self-isolating homes, but that $30 fee on top of Disney Plus’s monthly subscription kinda blows.
Fortunately, Disney boss Bob Chapek said in an earnings call that the company doesn't plan to make this the norm.
"We're looking at Mulan as a one-off, as opposed to saying there’s some new business windowing model.”
But, with other Disney releases like Black Widow and Soul on the horizon and the COVID-19 pandemic sadly not looking like it’ll be over anytime soon, it’s hard to see the company releasing other 2020-2021 films on the big screen.
Mulan was originally scheduled to release in March when it held its premieres in Los Angeles and London, but, much like the rest of the entertainment world, was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. It was later moved to late August before today, when Disney executives decided to release it digitally after concerns of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. continuing to rise.
