The craziest part of the beginning of quarantine was watching all the movies I so desperately wanted to see just fade away into the ether. Sure, many of them got new dates in 2021, but I wished that most of them were going to be available to me during this rough time. 

Well, Disney heard my prayers and is allowing Mulan to be streamed directly into your homes. 

Disney announced Tuesday during an earnings call that Mulan will premiere September 4th in theaters that are open with COVID-19 precautions and also via the Disney+ streaming service. Subscribers will be able to rent the film 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+ subscription with this great content," Disney CEO Bob Chapek said on the call. "Given the rapid changes in consumer behavior, we believe that it's more important than ever that we continue to grow our direct relationship to our customers."

They're also banking on those earlier reviews, which seemed to be generally favorable. 

Disney is saying this is not going to be the standard. Mulan should be viewed as a one-off and they're not planning to similarly shift other major theatrical releases, such as Marvel's Black Widow, although if we pass its scheduled release of November 6th, 2020, anything is game.

It will be interesting to see if Mulan is rented a lot. I am sure if there are huge profits, Disney interest will be piqued.

While the $30 sounds steep, this family-friendly movie might fare similarly to how Trolls II did earlier this year; it was a resounding success. Parents are looking for anything to keep their families entertained. It'll be interesting to see how this changes other Disney ideas moving forward. 

I think the real story here is contained in this tweet: 

Disney is paying huge money and prioritizing streaming, even for blockbusters. 

It's not about which titles are next but rather what other studios do to keep up with these changing times. 

Let us know what you think in the comments. 

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