Disney angered a lot of cinema owners this week by moving “Mulan” from movie theaters to premium release on Disney+, and one theater owner in France decided to show just how furious he was.
In a video shared by French Film Twitter account Destination Cine, a man is seen destroying a pop-up “Mulan” ad with a cricket bat. Check it out below.
https://twitter.com/destinationcine/status/1291279337191346177
Theaters in France have been reopened since June, as new infections of COVID-19 have largely been contained throughout the summer. But a combination of concern from moviegoers of contracting the virus and a lack of strong local releases has left the country’s box office languishing, with some theaters like the famed Grand Rex in Paris announcing they would temporarily close again due to a lack of revenue.
Hope has been pinned on Hollywood blockbusters like “Mulan” and Warner Bros. “Tenet” to bring business back to theaters. But while “Tenet” will get a release in overseas theaters at the end of August, Disney announced this past week that “Mulan” will be released on Disney+ for a premium price of $29.99. While the film will still get a theatrical release in some countries, it will only be in countries like China, where Disney+ is not available, leaving hundreds of thousands of theaters that have been promoting “Mulan” for months in the lurch.
Analysts told TheWrap earlier this week that Disney is likely being sincere when its CEO Bob Chapek informed investors that their change in plans for “Mulan” is only an emergency move in response to the pandemic and not an indicator of a long-term shift away from theaters. But depending on how “Mulan” and “Tenet” perform with their respective premium video on demand (PVOD) and theatrical release strategies, more blockbusters may go the PVOD route if the pandemic worsens this fall. Either way, there’s no denying that the loss of “Mulan” will hurt theaters struggling to stay open.
“This is the biggest hit for exhibitors to date when it comes to slate changes,” Boxoffice editor Daniel Loria said. “Let’s face it, ‘Trolls World Tour’ didn’t have that big a ceiling in terms of box office potential when it went straight to on-demand. But ‘Mulan’ is different. It is the first example of a film that theaters worldwide were hoping to have, especially in countries where theaters have [been] open for a month and have been dealing with operational costs with little turnout. The term ‘gut punch’ is perfectly appropriate.”
For more analysis on how Disney’s big gamble could affect Hollywood, read our analysis on WrapPro.