Disney+ Will Now Release Two Movies Originally Meant for Theaters on the Same Day

Now that Disney+ has revealed all of the titles that will premiere on the new streaming service in August 2020, the company confirmed that two major films from Walt Disney Studios will now skip movie theaters entirely, being released on the exact same day. Both Magic Camp and The One and Only Ivan were previously scheduled to premiere in movie theaters, but now they're set to hit Disney+ on Friday, August 14. The platform is also premiering two new original series including Muppets Now, the "unscripted" reality TV-inspired series featuring Kermit the Frog and the gang, as well as the latest season of Nationa Geographic's Weird But True.

Though The One and Only Ivan had been set to debut in theaters on that same date, its transition to Disney+ was naturally due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic; Magic Camp on the otherhand is a very different story. Production on Magic Camp originally took place in the first part of 2017 with the film originally scheduled to arrive on April 6, 2018. At one point it was delayed until August of that same year and later had its premiere cancelled altogether, presumably so it could be a title for the launch of Disney+. Now almost eight months after the service's debut, it's finally on the way.

The film had originally been conceived as a starring vehicle for comedian Steve Martin, who penned the screenplay originally and intended to star in it. The version that will appear on Disney+ however will see Adam DeVine, Gillian Jacobs, and Jeffrey Tambor in the lead roles. Magic Camp's official description reads: "A group of misfit campers help a down-on-his-luck magician rediscover his love of magic in Disney's Magic Camp, a heartwarming comedy about finding joy and confidence in self-acceptance."

The One and Only Ivan on the otherhand is an adaptation of award-winning book by Katherine Applegate, blending live-action and CGI to tell the story of Ivan, a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be.

The One and Only Ivan features the voice of Sam Rockwell as Ivan the gorilla, Angelina Jolie as Stella the elephant, Danny DeVito as Bob the dog, Helen Mirren as Snickers the poodle, Chaka Khan as Henrietta the chicken, Mike White as Frankie the seal, Brooklyn Prince as Ruby the baby elephant, Ron Runches as Murphy the rabbit, Phillipa Soo as Thelma the parrot. The live-action cast includes Ramon Rodriguez, Ariana Greenblatt, and Bryan Cranston.

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