Disney+ subscribers will have to pay a surcharge to stream Mulan right away, but there’s a good reason for that. A live-action reimagining of Disney’s acclaimed 1998 animated movie (itself, based on the Chinese legend), Mulan started out 2020 as one of the most anticipated movies of the year. With an all-Asian or Asian-American cast and celebrated director Niki Caro (Whale Rider) at the helm, the film has a lot going for it in terms of representation alone. And though it hasn’t been without its controversies (namely, star Liu Yifei’s support for the Hong Kong police and the fact Disney didn’t hire an Asian or Asian-American director), the early buzz for Mulan has been generally positive.
As much as audiences were looking forward to watching Mulan on the big screen, it wasn’t meant to be. The film has struggled to lock down a release date since the COVID-19 pandemic went south in the early part of March, forcing Mulan to abandon its previous spot towards the end of that month. Finally, on August 4, the Mouse House announced its plans to send the movie directly to Disney+ on September 4, forgoing a theatrical release in most of the world. It will, however, still play theatrically in markets where the service isn’t available (most notably China).
The twist is that Mulan will only be available at first to Disney+ subscribers willing to pay an additional $29.99 to stream it. It’s a change of pace from the other 2020 movies that’s skipped theaters and gone straight to streaming in the midst of the continuing health crisis, like Trolls World Tour and The King of Staten Island. In those cases, people had to pay $19.99 to watch them from the safety and comfort of their homes (and without having to subscribe to a specific streaming service, no less).
So, why the higher price? Well, there are a few factors. For starters, Mulan is an expensive film and cost $200 million to produce. Disney’s also spent a lot on marketing (including, a pricey TV spot at the 2020 Super Bowl), so they needed to find a way to cover at least some of their investment. Mulan is a different situation from Artemis Fowl, which was similarly scheduled to open theatrically this year before the studio sent it directly to Disney+ in June. In that case, however, Disney clearly recognized the $125 million tentpole was a misfire, so they decided to make it available for “free” to Disney+ subscribers instead. That way, they avoided spending more money on what likely would’ve become a box office flop no matter when it released, and added some exclusive content to their streamer at a time when its well is running low.
More than that, the surcharge benefits Mulan from a business perspective. As Doctor Strange co-writer C. Robert Cargill has pointed out on Twitter, the extra $30 price tag “protects the rest of the distribution chain (rental/physical/cable/streaming) down the line.” That way, anyway who doesn’t want to pay it can simply either wait to watch Mulan for the regular price on Disney+ at a later date or purchase it when it becomes available on Blu-ray, like many of them would’ve done anyway, had the film released in theaters as planned. As added incentive, those who pay the surcharge get to own Mulan for as long as they stay subscribed to Disney+, as opposed to only renting it like other recent VOD titles. It remains to be seen how Mulan‘s release affects them in the long-term, but given the circumstances, Disney no doubt feels this is the best move for them right now.
Key Release Dates
Mulan
Release Date:2020-09-04
