After Warner Bros. announced that its entire 2021 slate of movies would be going straight to streaming on HBO Max, there were rumors that Disney would make a similar move. In today’s Investor Day 2020 event, we got an update on the company’s strategy for new releases.
Disney continues to focus on the importance of streaming while attempting to keep theaters happy in a plan to mix theatrical releases and straight to streaming titles in 2021.
Over the next few years, Disney says it will release 10 Marvel series, 10 Star Wars series, and 15 live-action, animation, and Pixar series on Disney+ with new content coming to the streaming service every week.
“Soul” was initially set for theaters, but will go straight to streaming instead, along with other films which will now be labeled as Disney+ Originals. There are rumors that more upcoming films including Cruella and Pinocchio will go straight to streaming as well.
Some titles will be simultaneously released in theaters and on Disney+. “Raya and the Last Dragon” was the example given during the event. The film will debut in theaters and begin streaming on Disney+ with Premiere Access on the same day. The film is set to premiere in March 2021.