Today, during Disney’s quarterly earnings call CEO Bob Chapek had a few announcements regarding the company’s Summer film slate.
In addition to the announcement that Jungle Cruise would now get a simultaneous release in theaters and on Disney+, it was also revealed that long-awaited Ryan Reynolds comedy Free Guy and Marvel’s Shang-Chi would be the first set of the studio’s films to exclusive theatrical releases. Following the Paramount+ model though, both films will remain in theaters for 45 days before going straight to streaming.
It’s unclear if both films will be available to stream for free after the 45 days, or if both will go to Disney+ – there is a possibility Free Guy could wind up at Hulu. Should they go to Disney+ though, it’s also unclear if they might only be available via Premier Access. Chapek also didn’t specify whether this would be the norm for all subsequent big budget films.
With the pandemic winding down and the streaming wars are far from over, one big takeaway from this news is that moviegoing will never be the same again.
Free Guy currently has a release date of August 13, while Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is expected to come out on September 3.
We’ll update this story as more information becomes available; however be sure to follow @TheDisInsider for all the latest and greatest Disney-related news.
