The live-action remake of Mulan will soon be available on additional digital platforms just over a month after premiering exclusively on Disney+. Moviegoers will be able to purchase Mulan on Amazon Video, Vudu, FandangoNow, and more online retailers for $29.99.
Amazon, Vudu, and FandangoNow are already allowing moviegoers to pre-order Mulan ahead of its October 6th, 2020, debut on the added digital platforms. Those who pre-order from Vudu will receive a $3.00 credit towards other films and television shows available on the platform. The film will be presented in SD, HD, or 4K UHD formats.
Disney was originally planning to release Mulan theatrically in March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the studio to postpone its debut. After setting new release dates in July and then again in August, the company decided to forgo a traditional theatrical release and instead made Mulan available on Disney+ as a "Premiere Access" title for an additional cost of $29.99 on top of the subscription fee for the service. However, the film would also receive a limited theatrical release in countries where theaters re-opened or where Disney+ was not yet available.
Unfortunately, it appears Disney's release strategy for Mulan did not pay off. The live-action remake grossed $23 million over its opening weekend in China and while initial estimates indicated the film was a success on Disney+, revised figures suggest Mulan only earned $62-$93 million over twelve days on the streaming service. However, Disney has not publicly announced any details on how well or poorly Mulan performed on its streaming since premiering on September 4th.
It's probably a safe bet that Mulan's Disney+ revenue wasn't quite what the company had been hoping for, especially considering Marvel Studios' Black Widow was postponed until 2021 instead of being added to the streaming service as another "Premiere Access" title. The live-action remake's fortunes probably weren't helped by controversy stemming from the pro-police comments made by lead star Liu Yifei's and the decision to film scenes in the province of Xinjiang, where multiple internment camps are located.
Regardless of why Mulan likely underperformed, it appears Hollywood is going to have to go back to the drawing board as the film industry tries to adapt the ongoing pandemic. However, if a VOD release and a gradual theatrical release, the route Warner Bros. chose for Christopher Nolan's Tenet, can't pay off, Hollywood may be running out options for its upcoming blockbusters aside from further delays.
Mulan is now available on Disney+.
Source: The Verge