Disney sounds open to releasing more movies on streaming amidst pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has put millions of people out of work around the world, inflicting economic damage that could take years to undo.

And yet…there are a few businesses that are thriving as so many people spend more time at home. To wit: originally, Disney figured it would take five years for it to amass 60 to 90 million subscribers on its new streaming service Disney+, which launched in the U.S. last November. Well, it’s been just under six months, and CNET reports that it already has a flabbergasting 54.5 million subscribers.

And keep in mind that Disney+ has yet to launch in Japan (June); in Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and the Nordic countries (September); or in Latin America (towards the end of the year). For comparison’s sake, Netflix has 183 million subscribers around the globe. Disney+ still has a ways to go, but still, that was fast.

It makes sense that subscriptions would go up. We all need distractions right now, and Disney+ has everything from The Simpsons to The Mandalorian to all your old Disney favorites. And if you have kids, it’s a godsend: just plop them in front of The Little Mermaid for a minute and catch your breath.

And with millions confined their homes, Disney has given them more reasons to tune in. It released one movie originally planned for theatrical distribution — the sci-fi adventure Artemis Fowl — straight to the service, and has premiered other popular titles months early, including Onward, Frozen II and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Disney has a lot of big movies ready to debut in theaters, but many of them have been pushed back on account of the coronavirus. The live-action remake of Mulan was supposed to be out in March, but is now scheduled for July 24. The solo Black Widow movie has been pushed back to November 6, and Pixar’s Soul to November 20. Is it possible that any of those movies might come straight to Disney+, especially if the pandemic is still going strong by the time we get to those dates and the theatrical releases have to be pushed back again?

According to Disney CEO Bob Chapek, probably not…but maybe? “We very much believe in the value of the theatrical experience overall to launch blockbuster movies,” he said. “But we also realize that, either because of changing and evolving consumer dynamics, or because of certain situations like COVID, we may have to make some changes to that overall strategy, just because theaters aren’t open or aren’t open to the extent that anybody needs to be financially viable.”

So we’re in limbo! Some analysts have suggested the entertainment industry may look very different when we come out of this crisis, with the power of streaming services increased and the power of traditional theaters decreased. For now, it sounds like Disney is holding out hope that it can release its big-name movies in theaters once the pandemic has past and things will get back to normal, but a lot can happen between now and November.

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