Can’t exactly say we didn’t see this coming. Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution today announced new release details for a number of titles on Walt Disney Studios’ upcoming slate of films. The announcement updates rollout details for the forthcoming Disney live-action Cruella, Marvel Studios’ Black Widow and Disney and Pixar’s Luca, and also includes revised premiere dates for several other titles.
Daniel adds, “By leveraging a flexible distribution strategy in a dynamic marketplace that is beginning to recover from the global pandemic, we will continue to employ the best options to deliver The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled storytelling to fans and families around the world.”
Following the successful release of Raya and the Last Dragon, the highly anticipated live-action film Cruella and Marvel Studios’ long-awaited Black Widow will launch simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access in most Disney+ markets on Friday, May 28, and on Friday, July 9, respectively.
This follows the current Warner Bros. model of releasing 2021’s slate simultaneously in theaters and on streaming.
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Similar to the launch of Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award®-nominated Soul that delighted Disney+ subscribers during the holidays, Disney and Pixar’s Luca will stream directly in homes worldwide exclusively on Disney+ beginning Friday, June 18, as a special offering to kick off the summer season.
In international markets where Disney+ is not yet available, the film will be released theatrically, with premiere dates to be announced.
Theatrical release dates also shifted for several additional upcoming films. New release dates include:
- Free Guy on August 13, 2021
- Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on September 3, 2021
- The King’s Man on December 22, 2021
- Deep Water on January 14, 2022
- Death on the Nile on February 11, 2022
Theaters are slowly opening in the United States, but tentpole films such as Black Widow require full capacity to earn back its production costs.