Mulan Skipping Theaters Could Be Better for Disney, According to Analysts

Disney's live-action Mulan is an adventure the studio would understandably like audiences to [...]

Disney's live-action Mulan is an adventure the studio would understandably like audiences to experience on the big screen, but one analyst thinks that skipping a theatrical release and instead offering it on a premium digital platform could ultimately prove to be more beneficial for the studio. Earlier this year, the release of Trolls: World Tour on a premium digital format yielded positive results for DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures, so while Mulan debuting on a digital service will understandably take a hit on Disney's theatrical division, the film could potentially then debut more quickly on Disney+, which might result in an overall better year for the company.

"If they do kill Mulan, that could help the narrative," Wall Street analyst Michael Nathanson recently shared, per Deadline. "In a perverse way, that could be better for Disney stock in a long run than having Mulan go to theaters."

The film was originally slated to hit theaters this past March, with it being one of the first major releases to be pulled from release ahead of theaters around the world shuttering their doors. Despite theaters remaining closed and with no word on when they could safely reopen, Mulan is currently scheduled for a July 24th release. While a number of movie theater chains have discussed their potential plans to reopen, some of which are aiming for June, it would be unlikely that they would open at full capacity. Additionally, they would likely need to rely on highly anticipated projects being screened to entice audiences out of their homes at a time when everyone is cautious about large gatherings of people.

Nathanson also pointed out that Disney would have to "un-furlough a lot of their employees" in the realm of distribution and marketing. He added, "I don't think it's a given that Mulan's going to be released as we think."

If Mulan does debut on a premium streaming format in July, it could potentially land on Disney+ this fall, which would bode well for the service that has seen the debut of Pixar's Onward and Frozen 2 this year. If Mulan does end up hitting theaters in July, it's traditional home video release would be happening this fall and it likely wouldn't end up on Disney+ until next year.

Stay tuned for details on the release of Mulan.

Do you think the film will skip a theatrical release? Let us know in the comments below!

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