Due to the coronavirus, a large number of movies that were scheduled to release in 2020 have been delayed to later in the year. However, it remains to be seen if the pandemic will continue to have an impact on those films.
One of those delayed films is Disney's live action Mulan adaptation. Originally slated for release in March, Mulan has been pushed back to July 24. However, at least one analyst now believes that Disney may scrap theater release plans for the film entirely in favor of a digital release for home viewers.
According to Wall Street analyst Michael Nathanson, there are a number of potential issues with the idea of releasing Mulan in theaters in the near future. Social isolating will likely still be in effect in July, which will limit how many tickets can be sold per showtime, which will inherently reduce - or at least slow down - profits for the movie. In addition, Disney has furloughed a number of its employees in distribution and marketing departments. Properly supporting the film's release would require hiring those employees back on, and soon.
Nathanson believes that if Mulan could earn even half of what it would in theaters digitally that it would be worth it for Disney, which has been struggling due in part to theme park closures. However, there could be some downsides, too. AMC Theaters has essentially banned Universal films due to its decision to release films digitally instead of in theaters, and Disney may not want to risk its future blockbusters. Fans will likely have to wait until July to know for sure what Disney will do.
Disney's Mulan is currently set for release in theaters on July 24.
Source: Deadline