Disney, the rest of 2021 will be released in theaters.
Walt Disney Company announced that all remaining movies this year will be released exclusively in theaters, not simultaneously with its OTT (online video service) Disney+ (Disney Plus).
The distribution of Disney media and entertainment on the 10th (local time) will include “Last Dual: Last Duel” (released on October 15), “Rons Gonlong”, “Eternals”, “Encanto”, “West Side Story”, and “King’s Man” (released on December 10).
Accordingly, the films will be exclusively screened at the theater for at least 45 days after its release, and Encanto will be exclusively screened at the theater for 30 days so that it can be released at Disney+ on Christmas Eve on December 24.
Foreign media analyzed that Disney made the decision because the box office performance of “The Legend of Shangchi and Ten Rings” and “Free Guy” exceeded expectations.
In the case of “Legend of Shangqi and Ten Rings,” it has been on a box office run, earning 75.5 million dollars (about 88.1 billion won) over the weekend alone. This is the second-highest record since the COVID-19 Pandemic, about three times more than last year’s U.S. Labor Day (Monday, the first week of September).
Another film Free Guy has also earned about $240 million (about 280 billion won) worldwide since its release on August 13, the fifth-highest profit in the world in 2021.
Industry officials see this as a positive sign for the fall movie season, saying it is the power of the exclusive release of theaters.
In addition, as Disney’s move, a giant media dinosaur, has a great influence in Hollywood, attention is being paid to how Disney’s exclusive theater disclosure strategy will affect the industry.