‘Mulan’ Remake Goes Streaming: Blockbuster Movie Headed To Disney+ As $30 Rental, Theaters In Some Areas

After holding off on the decision in hopes that movie theaters would reopen, Disney has confirmed a premium streaming release for the big-budget “Mulan” remake on their Disney+ streaming service as a rental on Sept. 4.

CEO Bob Chepak made the announcement during Disney’s third-quarter earnings call, stating that the streaming rental would be priced at $29.99 and that the film would play in theaters in regions where they are open and which lack Disney+ access.

“We’re pleased to bring Mulan to a consumer base that’s been waiting for it as we’ve had to move our (release) dates several times,” Chepak said. “We’re looking at Mulan as a one-off as opposed trying to say that there’s a new business windowing model.”

The premium rental will be offered in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and elsewhere. It is expected to launch theatrically in China, where theaters have reopened and where it was always hoped to be a big hit.

While emphasizing that this move was an anomaly, Chepak also said that the company would be monitoring what the release of the film will do for subscribers and how well it performs as a premium transaction. It currently has no plans for a similar release for Marvel’s “Black Widow,” which is set to release in theaters on Nov. 6. No mention was made of Pixar’s “Soul,” an animated feature set for release around Thanksgiving.

The release will also test the flexibility of Disney+ as a platform, as no other piece of content on the service has cost anything on top of the subscription fee. Disney previously dabbled with a premium streaming release for Pixar’s “Onward” after theater shutdowns hobbled its March release in theaters. In that instance, the film was available at no extra charge for Disney+ subscribers and cost $20 to rent on a variety of digital marketplaces.

“We’re trying to establish a new premiere access window to capture that investment we got (in the film),” Chepak explained. “We’ll have a chance to learn from this. From our research under a premiere access offering, not only does it get us revenue from our original transaction of PVOD, but it’s a fairly large stimulus to sign up for Disney+.”

Directed by Niki Caro with an estimated $200 million budget, the remake of the 1999 animated classic was originally set to release on March 27. Once theaters were shutdown worldwide, it was delayed indefinitely along with most of Disney’s 2020 slate and eventually settled briefly on dates like July 21 and Aug. 21.