Exhibitors just got a shot-in-the-arm from Disney revealing it won’t open anything else day & date this year.
That’s about the best news exhibition could hear because Disney’s the powerhouse driving today’s box office. After experimenting this summer with day & date launches for CRUELLA, BLACK WIDOW & JUNGLE CRUISE and then opening SHANG-CHI exclusively in theatres to nearly $95M over Labor Day weekend, it was clear that there’s much more money to be made at the box office now that moviegoers are back. Despite media reports that the Delta Variant will kill theatres, people want to see movies again on the big screen with friends.
For exhibitors, Disney’s smart move will put 6 likely hits exclusively in cinemas. Five will have 45-day windows: 20th’s THE LAST DUEL (10/15), from Ridley Scott; 20th’s animated RON’S GONE WRONG (10/22); Marvel’s ETERNALS (11/5) from NOMADLAND Oscar winner Chloe Zhao; 20th’s musical (pictured) WEST SIDE STORY (12/10) from Steven Spielberg; & 20th’s THE KING’S MAN (12/22) from Matthew Vaughn. Disney’s animated ENCANTO (11/24) will have a 30-day exclusive window that lets it start streaming on Disney+ for Christmas.