Disney Plus has a deep library of shows and movies, buzzy originals and (sometimes) big-screen movies to watch the same time they first hit …
Disney Plus has a deep library of shows and movies, buzzy originals and (sometimes) big-screen movies to watch the same time they first hit theaters. Jungle Cruise and Marvel ‘s Black Widow are available on the streaming service for an extra fee, and Cruella just became available for all subscribers at no extra cost. These same-day streaming releases of new movies may be a thing of the past now. Most programming on Disney Plus — like Luca, Loki, The Mandalorian, WandaVision and almost everything else — is available to watch at no added cost. Jungle Cruise, Black Widow and Cruella were different. They debuted on the service through the Premier Access model, which requires a $30 payment on top of the regular price of a Disney Plus subscription. But Disney’s latest theatrical releases are hitting cinemas exclusively at first, casting doubt on whether Disney Plus will keep this Premier Access, same-day streaming option alive for more movies in the future. Free Guy was released only in theaters earlier this month, and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals are set to be theatrical exclusive when they come out Sept.3 and Nov.5, respectively. Also, keep in mind: Disney Plus raised prices this year, and last year it eliminated its seven-day free trial for new members. As of late March, Disney Plus’ monthly subscription now costs $8 in the US, a price increase of $1 a month. Its annual plan went up by $10, to $80 a year. And Disney’s three-service bundle — combining streaming access to Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus — also went up $1 a month. But the monthly rate of Disney Plus is still roughly half the price of HBO Max and compares with Netflix’s cheapest tier, which is $9 a month. Cruella just unlocked as part of the regular Disney Plus catalog Friday, available for any subscribers to watch at no extra charge. Black Widow is scheduled to become part of the standard catalog on Oct.6. Jungle Cruise is joining the regular catalog on Nov.12. Some people refer to these as the dates they’ll be “free” to watch, but everything on Disney Plus still requires a paid subscription. Both are available through Disney Plus’ Premier Access model. With Premier Access, films cost $30 to unlock on top of the price you pay for a Disney Plus subscription. You can purchase access to the films on Disneyplus.com and in the service’s apps for Apple (including iPhones), Google (including Android phones), Amazon, Roku and other platforms. The service will automatically prompt you to pony up with your payment method already on file and request that you enter details like a credit card CVV number. Purchasers are able to watch Jungle Cruise and Black Widow for as long as they remain active Disney Plus subscribers. In this way, Premier Access isn’t like unlocking an online rental that expires. Once you pay for a Premier Access title like Jungle Cruise or Black Widow, you can keep watching it for as long as your account remains active. The price varies internationally in local currencies, but the value of the international prices is generally on par with $30. Taxes vary by country. In some countries, purchasers will need to pay taxes on top of the purchase. But in other countries, like those in the eurozone, the price already includes taxes. Basically, you have two months after the premiere to decide. Premier Access is typically available as a purchase option for two months after a title is released. But, like other Premier Access movies that came before, Black Widow won’t become part of the standard catalog for three months. That leaves a one-month gap. Black Widow is expected to be unavailable for purchase on Disney Plus in early September, a month before it joins the standard library any subscriber can stream. People who previously purchased Black Widow or Jungle Cruise on Disney Plus won’t have any disruption to their access to the title, though. We don’t know, but for the time being, no future theatrical movies are planned to get same-day releases on Disney Plus. During the pandemic, Disney Plus introduced this Premier Access model to sell streaming access to new, big-screen movies. It was a way to get the movie out to wider audiences while cinemas were shuttered or open at a fraction of their normal capacity. So far, Disney has released several movies this way: the live-action remake of Mulan, animated fantasy Raya and the Last Dragon, Cruella, Black Widow and Jungle Cruise. But as restrictions have eased, Disney has reintroduced theatrical-only windows starting in August. Free Guy, a sci-fi comedy from Disney’s 20th Century Studios, was released in theaters exclusively for 45 days in mid-August. Then Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be released Sept.2 in theaters exclusively for 45 days as well. Though Free Guy isn’t expected to stream anytime soon on Disney Plus, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has indicated that Shang-Chi will hit Disney Plus right after the 45-day period in theaters. That sets Shang-Chi on a track to be available to stream on Disney Plus in mid-October, possibly at no added cost. Typically, before the pandemic, new Disney movies would make their way to Disney Plus about five to eight months after they premiered in theaters. But for some of its upcoming smaller movies, Disney is simply switching films originally planned for theaters to be Disney Plus originals instead, skipping theaters entirely. This strategy mostly applies to midbudget movies, including Pinocchio, a live-action remake starring Tom Hanks; its Peter Pan reboot; Disenchanted, a sequel to Enchanted that’ll have Amy Adams reprise her princess role; and Sister Act 3, reviving the comedy franchise about nuns. Another wrench thrown into the works is the delta variant of COVID-19. The variant has increased cases and hospitalizations across the world, coming after vaccines had alleviated many moviegoers’ inhibitions about crowding into cinemas. Now surveys indicate consumers are again feeling less comfortable going to the movies. So far, the box office has remained relatively strong compared with the decimation of 2020 and anemic attendance early this year. But if the recovery at cinemas falters, studios like Disney may reconsider and make big movies available on Premier Access at the same time again. Disney hasn’t confirmed a streaming release date yet for Eternals, which is a star-packed Marvel movie scheduled to be released in theaters on Nov.5. But here’s what we know and some educated guesses about what to expect. Before the pandemic, new Disney movies would make their way to Disney Plus about five to eight months after they premiered in theaters. If Disney returns to that norm, it’s possible Disney Plus subscribers could be waiting until summer 2022 to start streaming Eternals. We won’t know for certain until Disney confirms a streaming plan. Disney Plus no longer offers a standard free trial. It eliminated its one-week free trial program in June 2020, shortly before the premiere of Hamilton. But other deals may unlock Disney Plus free (or at no added cost). For example, Disney and Verizon have a deal that gives a free year of Disney Plus starting on launch day to all the carrier’s customers with a 4G LTE or 5G unlimited account, as well as new customers of Verizon’s Fios and 5G home internet services. Those who prepurchased a Disney Plus plan such as the now-expired three-year discounted subscription deal can stack their one free year on top of it, according to a Verizon FAQ. Amazon Music Unlimited is also offering a deal for new subscribers to its streaming music service to unlock up to six months of Disney Plus free. In the US, the Disney Plus service costs $8 a month, or $80 a year. The standalone Disney Plus service costs comparable amounts in other countries in their local currencies. Disney Plus’ US price deeply undercuts the $14 monthly fee for Netflix’s most popular plan in the US, which lets you stream to two different devices simultaneously in high definition. But Disney Plus allows all subscribers to stream to four devices and access 4K content at no extra cost — features Netflix charges $18 a month to unlock its premium tier.
