A few months ago it was rumored that Disney fans may have had the opportunity to see Disney’s live-action Mulan film as it reportedly was moving straight to digital and Disney+.
But that rumor soon came to an end as Disney announced a new theatrical release date for the live-action Mulan along with the Black Widow and the other Marvel Phase 4 films.
And then, just a few days ago we reported that the live action Mulan film could be hitting Disney+ in October according to a tweet from the Disney+ Twitter page, but the tweet was later removed.
Related: Disney’s live-action Mulan replaced Mushu, made changes to original songs
But now, according to a Wall Street analyst, Disney’s live action Mulan could potentially benefit the Walt Disney Company by skipping a theatrical release. In fact, he thinks that moving the film straight to a digital platform and to streaming is the way to go.
According to Deadline, Wall Street analyst Michael Nathanson recently shared “If they do kill Mulan, that could help the narrative. In a perverse way, that could be better for Disney stock in the long run than having Mulan go to theaters.”
Nathanson also stated that The Walt Disney Company would have to “un-furlough a lot of their employees”, speaking about those employees in the distribution and marketing fields. He also said, “I don’t think it’s a given that Mulan’s going to be released as we think.”
This wouldn’t be the first time Disney has moved a film to digital or streaming services as one example is Pixar’s Onward. Though Pixar’s Onward was in theaters for a little while before the pandemic, it did not get the full theater release and Disney decided to move the film to both digital and Disney+, Disney’s streaming service.
Another example is Disney’s Artemis Fowl sci-fi fantasy film. This movie did not receive a release in theaters and instead will go straight to Disney+.
More On The Live-Action Mulan
The official description for the upcoming live-action film reads:
“Acclaimed filmmaker Niki Caro brings the epic tale of China’s legendary warrior to life in Disney’s Mulan, in which a fearless young woman risks everything out of love for her family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known. When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud father.”
We already know that the upcoming Mulan live-action film won’t be a remake of the animated film like those live-action films in the past, such as Jon Favreau’s The Lion King. This new film will be more realistic and will not include the comedy aspect (including no Mushu) or the beloved songs that we know and love (Besides the highly popular song, Reflection). In fact, director Nikki Caro said it would focus more on the Chinese culture and stated in an interview:
“We don’t tend to break into song when we go to war. Not saying anything against the animation because the songs are brilliant and if I could squeeze them in there, I would have. But we do honor the music from the animation in a very significant way, that’s all I’ll say.”
Do you want to see the live action Mulan hit theaters or move straight to streaming? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.