Disney CEO Bob Chapek has announced that the highly anticipated live action remake of the 1998 animated classic Mulan will still be released in theaters on July 24th.
The film was originally set to be released on March 27th but was pushed back due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In an interview with CNBC, Chapek addressed the company’s decision by stating:
“At Disney, we’re a bunch of optimists. I think that’s a good date for this title. You have to balance people’s anxieties about going out in public with the pent-up demand.”
Disney is taking a different approach to new film releases compared to other companies. Back in April, Universal Pictures opted for an at-home release for Trolls World Tour. The film set records and had the largest debut for a digital release. It cost $19.99 for viewers to rent the film for 48 hours. Warner Bros. is also following this trend by releasing Scoob! on May 15th digitally.
By moving the Mulan release back few months, Disney also had to push back the release dates of some of their other films this year. Below is an updated 2020 theatrical release schedule from the Walt Disney Studios website:
- Mulan (Disney)—July 24, 2020
- Empty Man (20th Century Studios)—August 7, 2020
- The One and Only Ivan (Disney)—August 14, 2020
- The Beatles: Get Back (Disney)—September 4, 2020
- The King’s Man (20th Century Studios)—September 18, 2020
- Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios)—October 9, 2020
- The French Dispatch (Searchlight Pictures)—October 16, 2020
- Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (20th Century Studios)—October 23, 2020
- Black Widow (Marvel Studios)—November 6, 2020
- Deep Water (20th Century Studios)—November 13, 2020
- Soul (Disney and Pixar)—November 20, 2020
- Free Guy (20th Century Studios)—December 11, 2020
- West Side Story (20th Century Studios)—December 18, 2020
- The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)—December 25, 2020 (limited)
Mulan stars Yifei Liu as the titular character and will have a similar plot to that of the 1998 animation version. The film however, will not have musical numbers or feature the beloved wisecracking dragon Mushu. Instead it will introduce new characters including the villainous witch Xianniang who will be portrayed by Gong Li.
While waiting for the film’s release, enjoy the trailer by clicking here!