There will be no Disney+ Premier Access for this lot
Following on from a pretty messy legal battle from one of their 2021 Marvel releases, which is still in the middle of proceedings, The House of Mouse has confirmed that the remainder of their movie slate for the year will all debut exclusively in theatres.
The Disney 2021 movie slate will all be theatrical releases, according to the global entertainment production house. This means that their streaming service Disney+ won't be getting a simultaneous/day-and-date release, which is good news for cinema-goers as it shows that the company is remaining optimistic about theatres remaining open for the remainder of the year.
However, a more glaring reason for this shift in Disney's movie release schedule could be the recent Scarlett Johansson legal battle that began during the summer. The actor is suing Disney due to the production house breaking her 'Black Widow' contract, which guaranteed a dedicated theatrical release for the action blockbuster. The star could be left somewhere in the region of $30 million out of pocket due to the company's decision. The legal proceedings are continuing, with both parties wanting to break ties with the other. Marvel directors The Russo Brothers have also reportedly decided to weigh up their options with Disney following the incident.
Disney deciding to have the remainder of their 2021 movie slate debut exclusively in theatres is a step in the right direction, especially if they are hoping to drum up confidence with their talent, both on and off screen.
The company has a number of heavy-hitter releases on their schedule for the remainder of the year, including Marvel's 'Eternals', Steven Spielberg's 'West Side Story', Ridley Scott's 'The Last Duel', Disney Animation's 'Encanto', Matthew Vaughn's sequel 'The King's Man' and another animation in the form of 'Ron's Gone Wrong'.
All of Disney's upcoming releases will eventually land on Disney+ in the future, following their theatrical release, but for the remainder of the year, there will be no more Premier Access option for those wishing to enjoy new releases from home.