Marvel's SHANG-CHI and 20th Century's FREE GUY Will Play in Theaters 45 Day Before Going to Disney+
Disney has announced that Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and 20th Century’s Free Guy will be released exclusively in movie theaters for 45 days. After that, the films will make the transition to home viewing on VOD and streaming via Disney+.
Movies have normally gotten an exclusive 90-day theatrical window. That was the industry standard before the pandemic, but things have changed. With Disney now adopting the 45-day theatrical release like some of the other studios, this will probably be the new standard.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the decision to release Shang-Chi and Free Guy exclusively in theaters was based on “recent signs of increased confidence in moviegoing.” These will be Disney’s first pure theatrical releases since they released The New Mutants back in August 2020. But he also indicated that “Disney will continue to pursue its new hybrid release framework as movie theaters in the U.S. and the rest of the world attempt to return to a new normal.”
Other upcoming films such as Black Widow, Cruella, and Jungle Cruise will be released in theaters and on Disney+ simultaneously. Chapek went on to say, “Flexibility is a key component of our distribution strategy.”
It’s unknown if these shorter theatrical release windows will continue long after the pandemic. Chapek explained that they are a concession to “the relatively fluid nature of the recovery.” He noted that theaters are open all across the U.S., but revenues are still down. He added, “We’re trying to monitor are consumers ready to go back to theaters.”
Source: Variety