Earlier this month, Disney announced that Mulan would be skipping theaters in the U.S. and head directly to Disney+. But, unlike movies like “Onward”, “Frozen 2”, and “Artemis Fowl”, which either arrived early or skipped theaters altogether, the film wouldn’t be automatically included in your Disney+ subscription.
Instead, Mulan will be the first film offered as Disney+ Premier Access. So what exactly is it?
Just like Premier Access at Disney Theme Parks, Premier Access will let you “skip the line” and see movies ahead of when they would normally be released on Disney+…but at a cost.
How Much Does Disney+ Premier Access Cost to Stream Mulan?
Disney+ Premier Access are premium films that aren’t automatically included in your Disney+ subscription. Instead, to access the never-before-released film, you will pay $29.99 to stream Mulan on Disney+.
When Will Mulan Be Available on Disney+ Premier Access?
Mulan will be available to stream on Disney+ Premier Access starting on September 4th. Based on other releases, Mulan will likely not be available as part of your standard Disney+ subscription until Spring 2021.
Will I Own the Movie Purchased using Disney+ Premier Access?
With Disney+ Premier Access, you will be able to watch Mulan as many times as you want, so long as you stay a Disney+ subscriber.
Unlike other Premium VOD movies like “Trolls: World Tour”, “Mulan” isn’t a rental – since that film cost $19.99 for only 48-hours of viewing. It isn’t a purchase either, because unliked “Scoob!” which skipped theaters, you can’t purchase “Mulan” outright - at least not yet.
Will Other Movies Come Out via Disney+ Premier Access?
As of right now, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said “We’re pleased to bring Mulan to a consumer base that’s been waiting for it as we’ve had to move our (release) dates several times…We’re looking at Mulan as a one-off as opposed trying to say that there’s a new business windowing model.”
But, with other movies pushed back like “Black Widow” (now scheduled for November), it’s possible if “Mulan” has a successful release more could come.
Chapek said, “We’re trying to establish a new premiere access window to capture that investment we got. We’ll have a chance to learn from this. From our research under a premiere access offering, not only does it get us revenue from our original transaction of PVOD, but it’s a fairly large stimulus to sign up for Disney+.”