Would you pay 30 dollars to stream Mulan from the comforts of your own home?
I wouldn’t, but I sure bet lots of families will take up Disney’s seemingly expensive offer. Even just two persons splitting the cost would be roughly the same as a typical movie ticket at a theatre; for a family of four, 30 dollars to watch a brand new movie release is a screaming bargain (won’t have to pay for overpriced concessions, either). Indeed it’s easy to get initially surprised at the $30 dollar price, but upon further review, it’s rather inexpensive.
My group of friends are already discussing plans to get together to watch Mulan, splitting the cost however many which ways. Probably not the wisest for social distancing and avoiding gatherings, but we too are young and stupid. At least we’re not having massive lake parties in Wisconsin.
Disney may have just released the floodgates for other studios to do the same for their respective tier-one slate of films: the House of Mouse announced yesterday the often-delayed Mulan will be released to the masses not in theatres, but on the Disney+ streaming platform. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, theatres aren’t opening back up anytime soon, and one surmises Disney saw a pathway to profit via their own platform, so the trigger finally got pulled.
The company can’t wait forever for theatres to open again when massive production and marketing costs are burning a hole in the expense column.
Of course, Disney is not the only major studio to have their own streaming platform, and depending on the success of Mulan’s digital-only release, other studios may follow suit and put out their slate of backlogged films - due to COVID - on streaming for a premium price. Universal have already tested the waters with Trolls World Tour earlier this year to great success, but Mulan represents the first true “blockbuster” to receive the digital release treatment, and how it does financially will be a bellwether for other major films. Perhaps Wonder Woman 1984 will be available to watch for $30 on HBO Max come this Fall?
I’d certainly pay for it. One such movie I would wait until however long it takes for theatres to open back up, however, is Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. Movies shot with actual IMAX cameras deservers to be viewed in an actual IMAX theatre.
Das good keyboard.