Given the coronavirus crisis, Disney executive chairman Bob Iger says more Disney releases may be headed for Disney+. That follows the new reality in theatrical releases. “Artemis Fowl” will now debut on the streaming platform after it was originally slated for theaters on May 29.
“In terms of movies going ahead after ‘Artemis,’ there may be a few more that we end up putting directly onto Disney+, but for the most part, a lot of the big tentpole Disney films, we’ll simply wait for slots. In some cases we’ve announced new ones already, but later on in the calendar,” Iger told Barron’s.
Some titles, such as “Mulan,” “Black Widow” have had their release dates moved back. Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” will keep their December 2020 release dates.
However, several titles on the 20th Century and Searchlight Pictures side, such as “Antlers,” “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” “The New Mutants” and “The Woman in the Window,” have no release dates.
At present, Pixar’s “Soul” is scheduled for June 19, but with the stay-at-home order in place in many states, it’s unclear whether its future will be a theatrical or streaming release.
“We know they have always been a place for people to go, whether it’s a movie or a park or ESPN, to enjoy their lives and to distance themselves from whatever daily issues they may be facing,” Iger told the business trade.
He added, referencing the pandemic: “But we know when it ends that we will have things for the public to enjoy and to escape to, maybe in ways they will appreciate more than they ever have.”