Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the decision to release “Black Widow” exclusively in movie theaters will be made “last minute.”
Chapek talked about the “Black Widow” release during a Bloomberg Television interview. He said Disney has flexibility when it comes to film releases.
- “Our situation and our conditions change,” he said. “Just a few weeks ago, theaters in New York and Los Angeles weren’t even open. Now, all of a sudden they’re open, so we’re waiting to see how prospective theatergoers respond to these reopenings. We’re going to remain flexible. We’ll make the call probably at the last minute in terms of how these films come to market, whether it’s ‘Black Widow’ or any other title.”
Chapek said Disney still supports releasing films in theaters — but it’s not the only way to share a film.
- “We love the theatrical window,” Chapek said, per Deadline. “We think it’s important for building our franchises. At the same time, we don’t think it’s the only way to do it. … We’ll see what happens over the next couple of months. So much is changing, it’s such a dynamic environment. It’s really hard to predict what’s going to happen with consumer behavior in the next month as it comes to reemergence back into the world of normal. We’ll be watching the call carefully and make the call when we have to.”
Context
Since the coronavirus pandemic delayed the release of “Black Widow,” there have been so many questions about whether the film will be released exclusively in theaters or have a Disney+ release, too.
This has precedent. Disney released “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Mulan” on Disney+ ahead of a theatrical release. The films cost an extra $30 through the “Premier Access” program.