Disney appears to be done with releasing films day-and-date for the remainder of 2021.
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Walt Disney Pictures announced on Friday that the remainder of its 2021 film schedule will be released exclusively to theaters with 45 days windows before appearing on Disney Plus. The only exception will be Encanto which will have a 30-day window so it can appear on Disney Plus in time for Christmas.
The schedule for the remainder of this year includes:
- The Last Duel – Oct. 15
- Ron’s Gone Wrong – Oct. 22
- The Eternals – Nov. 5
- Encanto – Nov. 24
- West Side Story – Dec. 10
- The Kings Man – Dec. 22
“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,” said Kareem Daniel, chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. “As confidence in moviegoing continues to improve, we look forward to entertaining audiences in theaters, while maintaining the flexibility to give our Disney+ subscribers the gift of Encanto this holiday season.”
Is this the end of day-and-date releases? We suspect it isn’t, but is a pause while new contracts are written going forward. Considering how much more of the sale Disney gets to retain from selling films on Premiere Access, it feels like it would be a hard opportunity for the company to continue to pass up.
