Disney has confirmed that its upcoming “Mulan” live-action remake will have a theatrical release in China.
According to Deadline, the studio confirmed that Disney will clear the film for release in China, saying that “the magnolia blossoms live up to expectations and come as promised” and “the theater is about to bloom.”
No official release date was confirmed.
However, “Mulan” will head directly to Disney Plus in the United States and United Kingdom on Sept. 4. Other areas will see a theater rollout, though. China will specifically see a theater release because it doesn’t have Disney Plus.
“Mulan” was delayed four times due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, Disney announced it would release the film through Disney Plus for $29.99.
“We see this as an opportunity to bring this incredible film to a broad audience, currently unable to go to movie theaters, while also further enhancing the value and attractiveness of a Disney Plus subscription with this great content,” CEO Bob Chapek said during an earnings call, according to CNBC.
“In terms of the premier access idea, as you probably know, Disney tent-pole blockbuster theatrical films can be fairly expensive to make and produce in order to get the quality that consumers expect from us and frankly to get the quality that we expect from us,” Chapek said, per CNBC.
“We thought we would give it a try to establish a new window of premier access, to try to recapture some of that investment,” he said. “We’re going to have a chance to learn from this and to see whether that makes sense.”