That you’re upset or thrilled that Mulan is coming to Disney+ is exactly why it was the right test case for a blockbuster PVOD release.
That you’re upset or thrilled that Mulan is coming to Disney+ is why it was the right test case for releasing a mega-budget tentpole to PVOD. The 60-second Mulan commercial, one which explicitly proclaims the film as being exclusive to Disney DIS +, doesn’t show us much that the other trailers hadn’t already revealed. Honestly, the opening beat made me worry that they were going to spoil the film’s best action sequence, but fear not, they cut away before they give away the game. But yes, Mulan will be skipping theaters in America (and other territories where Disney+ is available) in favor of a PVOD release. There’s been plenty of handwringing, speculation and pontification over what Disney’s decision means in the broad scheme of things. Truth be told, we won’t know much until we see how many of the 60.5 million Disney+ subscribers actually fork over an additional $29.99 to watch the movie instead of waiting for its general arrival on Disney+ and/or a more conventional digital and physical media release. If the film snags, say, five million subscribers and thus $150 million in “every penny goes to Disney” revenue, that’s a success. It would be the equivalent of $300 million in theatrical grosses, about equal to (sans inflation) the original global gross of 1998’s animated Mulan. Add that to whatever it grosses in China and elsewhere around the world in conventional theatrical play, and I’d argue that it was a success. But if nobody splurges, well, then it’s not really a game-changer. Yes, it stinks that a $200 million action epic starring Chinese heroes and Chinese villains, with a (white) female director no less, is skipping domestic theaters. However, by virtue of its singular nature and its size/scale, it was an ideal lab rat for this kind of experiment. If Disney was going to try and release an A-level theatrical feature as a PVOD title, it had to be an A-level feature, one that (absent the pandemic) would likely have been a big global box office hit.
