The novel coronavirus pandemic may have shut down cinemas worldwide, however, Disney isn't going to let COVID-19 force tentpole films like Black Widow and Mulan to skip theatrical releases and head straight to Disney+.
While some fans have been hoping that the House of Mouse would release upcoming films on its streaming site so that it would follow the original release date of these projects, Disney CEO Bob Chapek says that the company won't allow tentpole movies to skip cinemas.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Chapek decided to touch on the topic of upcoming theatrical releases.
"We believe in the theatrical experience, particularly to launch big blockbuster franchise films," the new Disney CEO told the entertainment news outlet, "It fuels the entire Disney company, from consumer products to theme parks all the way to Disney+. And so we really think that's the smart way to launch our big, tentpole films."
According to Chapek, Disney movies that will skip theatrical releases and head straight to streaming will be chosen through a "very deliberate basis." An example of movies that have skipped theatrical release is Artemis Fowl which has been pulled from its original May 20 release.
We understand why Disney refuses to skip all theatrical releases though. As much as Disney fans would love to have upcoming movies head to Disney+ during the COVID-19 lockdown, Disney wouldn't allow commercially viable movies like Black Widow and Mulan skip out on theatrical screenings.
That would be a bad business decision for the House of Mouse.
Black Widow is set to premiere on November 6, 2020.
Read: Black Widow is Heading to the UK Earlier Than Expected
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