Disney said it will release the rest of its 2021 films in theatres first. The musical Encanto will arrive in theatres on 24 November, with a 30 day exclusive theatrical window. The rest of the films coming out before year-end, including The Last Duel, Ron’s Gone Wrong, Eternals, West Side Story and King’s Man will have a cinema window of 45 days. They will then all go to Disney Plus.
The decision follows the successful theatre-first release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Free Guy, the Verge noted. These were launched with a 45-day window. The virus pandemic and temporary closures of movie theatres made the company delay the release of many films. “Following the tremendous box office success of our summer films which included five of the top eight domestic releases of the year, we are excited to update our theatrical plans for the remainder of 2021,” the company said, adding that “confidence in moviegoing continues to improve.”
The decision also follows the court case started by Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson, who alleged that the simultaneous release reduced the amount of money the film attracted in theaters. As Johansson’s salary was partly based on the film’s box-office performance, she said she lost a significant amount of money. Disney has disputed the merits of Johansson’s suit. Black Widow brought in USd 80 million at the domestic box office in its 9 July opening weekend, and generated USD 80 million via Disney Plus, Variety reported.
