Disney announced at its investors meeting that the upcoming animated film, “Raya and the Last Dragon,” will be released as a Premier Access title on the same day it releases in theaters (on March 5, 2021). 

Disney did not provide a price point for the Disney+ Premier Access. When “Mulan” made its debut exclusively on Premier Access earlier this year, subscribers were charged $29.99 in addition to the monthly subscription fee.

, Disney Animation’s Raya and the Last Dragon Poised to Upend Theater Industry
Raya and the Last Dragon characters

Studios Pivot to Releasing Tentpole Films on Multiple Platforms

Due to the pandemic, studios have been exploring alternative routes to get their films to platforms where they can capture an audience and recoup the production costs. 

With the uncertainty of how the pandemic will change consumers’ habits of viewing content in 2021 and the current shutdown of most cinemas in key cities across America, Warner Bros. announced last week it would release its 2021 theatrical slate simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. 

Universal Studios struck a deal with theaters over the summer which would allow films to run in theaters for 17 days before being released on other platforms. 

Delayed Theatrical Release Date

As previously reported by MiceChat, “Raya and the Last Dragon” was originally scheduled for a November 2020 release but was moved to 2021 due to the impact on ticket sales from theaters shuttering during most of 2020. 

After a reshuffling of release dates, Pixar’s “Soul” was scheduled to debut in theaters within a week of where “Raya and the Last Dragon” was originally scheduled to open, but will now debut exclusively on Disney+ on Christmas day.

Opportunity Knocks

During 2020, Disney+ became the beneficiary of the pandemic. With millions of people homebound and looking for new content to watch, Disney+ has managed to capture a large market share of subscribers. 

Will Disney’s gain be a fatal blow to movie theaters that count on Disney’s blockbuster films? Compound the massive losses created by theater closures in 2020 with future losses to streaming, the current business model of major theater chains looks bleak. 

The top 8 films at the box office in 2019 were all Disney films. It’s hard to determine how much of these grosses would have been siphoned off if moviegoers were able to choose between venturing to a theater or streaming the films from home. 

Disney 2019 Box Office:

  1. Avengers: Endgame $858,373,000
  2. The Lion King $543,638,043
  3. Toy Story 4 $434,038,008
  4. Frozen II $430,144,682
  5. Captain Marvel $426,829,839 
  6. Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker $390,706,234
  7. Spider-Man: Far from Home $390,532,085 
  8. Aladdin $355,559,216 

Yesterday was more than just an exciting list of new content on the way to Disney+ and Hulu, as it was an indication that Disney will be focusing heavily on creating content for streaming. 

As other studios adapt to the new changes in consumerism created by the pandemic, we’ll begin to see a shift in how the 118-year old entertainment industry will evolve. 


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, Disney Animation’s Raya and the Last Dragon Poised to Upend Theater Industry


Let’s Hear From You

We’ve been looking forward to “Raya and the Last Dragon” since its announcement at the 2019 D23 Expo. How do you think Disney’s decision to release the film in both theaters and for direct streaming will pay off? Could this tactic be the beginning of the end of the movie theater industry as we know it? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

, Disney Animation’s Raya and the Last Dragon Poised to Upend Theater Industry

And in case you missed Disney’s live stream of Investor Day, take a look at the article below. Disney unveiled plans for dozens of new movies and TV shows. We have the names, images, teasers and more for you all in one place: 

Disney Investor Day Reveals Dozens of New Movies & Shows Coming to You!

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