New Disney Streaming Service: Disney+

[Ben]

Disappointing.

For a film that should be seen on the big screen, I mean.

It’s also not clear if this is just a D+ offer, or if anyone with a PVOD access can "rent" the movie. Because if it’s a D+ exclusive, then that’s one thing, but if they have sold D+ subs on the basis that *then* you can see Mulan — even for an extra thirty bucks — then that’s another, as why should I pay for D+ AND a PVOD rental when I can just pay for the PVOD rental?

If they were smart(er), they would say $30 for PVOD, but if accessing through a valid D+ sub then it’s $20 or $25 for a one off viewing,

It’s a shame though, as this isn’t going to make Disney any real money, and the film, even if it turns out to be a minor masterpiece, won’t be nearly as well seen or remembered as it might have been — not least because D+ is apparently quite easy to pirate: when I asked if friends wanted to come see some of the exclusives when the pandemic is over they told me they have already seen them via downloads. Mulan won’t be any different, sadly.

Such a shame.

[gaastra]

Some reactions from one of the big disney sites.

Except that I'm already paying for access to Disney+...

Why would I pay $29 on top of the subscription price to watch a movie on my TV....?

How dumb.

$29.99 to watch Mulan? Best joke I’ve ever heard! Oh wait... you’re serious Bob?

$30 for Mulan ON Disney +...LOL

Was that supposed to be a joke? 0% chance I'm paying on top of a subscription.

Heard this and my jaw just about dropped. Can't see the majority of subscribers paying it when they've set the expectation for movie premieres with Artemis Fowl and Hamilton.

I'll wait until it's on...

oh, wait...

Anyway, I'm not paying $29.99 to see it.

And this one says it best.

I highly doubt I would watch Mulan if it wasn’t an upcharge (I’ve yet to watch any of the live action remakes) but I think it was a mistake to create the pay per view model and connect it to the Disney+ brand. To me that confuses what Disney+ is in the mind of the consumer.

And these are some of disneys biggest fans! People are aready sending disney comments on their "request" page about this on their website asking them not to do this. Some are even saying they will drop disney plus if they do this!

Yikes! This did not go well with fans! They don't want vod paywalls on disney plus! Worse if a hit neflix could go "hmm great idea. Want to watch the new season of stranger things. Pay for it!" then hbo max will follow, then boomerang, then--

[James]

Thanks for the tip. I’ve posted it to the site.

I actually don’t have a problem with this going premium vod via D+. Instead of releasing it on iTunes and comcast and google and fandango and etc... they release it themselves and keep all the profits. And D+ gets a new selling point when films start getting released to pvod three weeks after theatrical release once Covid is over.

[Randall]

Me too.

Sorry, I can't muster the least bit of outrage over this. Disney is in a very tough spot, and doing what they can to make the most out of a disaster. They have said this is an experiment, and will gauge fan response. But honestly, anyone who gets upset by this is being overly whiny and entitled. Why would anyone object? If Disney didn't do this, they'd just withhold the theatrical release for another year or more anyway. And if you don't wish to pay $30, then you're not out anything. Either way, you simply don't watch Mulan. Disney owes no one anything in terms of showing them Mulan for free. I mean, let's get serious.

Good points are made about "discounting" a PPV option if viewing over D+ vs Amazon Prime, etc. But one can't blame Disney for keeping this exclusive to their service, where they don't have to share any fees with anyone else, and can keep exclusivity.

[Ben]

Just to clarify...I don’t have a problem with Disney doing this, at all, apart from the sad fact that the film won’t be seen as intended.

But if they *do* offer it over PVOD, which isn’t clear at this point, then that doesn’t have any added subscription costs attached to it, so my only comment was that, if they do make this a PVOD *and* Disney+ offering, then those already paying a sub for D+ in the first place should get a discount.

If this is *just* for D+ users anyway, and this is a premium OTT offer, then that’s a different thing, though I fear this could also be used to "offer" future big-ticket titles before they revert to being included anyway. If that becomes the case, then I’d imagine people will just wait until things are included in their subs anyway, rather than keep paying extra for new titles. That’s why we subscribe in the first place anyway, right?

[James]

More info: according to this article it’s not a normal rental. Instead of only having 48 hours to watch it, you can watch it as much as you want after paying with no time limit.

https://www.insider.com/mulan-is-coming ... -plus-rent

[gaastra]

Or wait two month and watch it for free. Also is it like this? You pay every month for plus. Then you pay on top of that for a $30 film. But to watch the film you payed $30 for you have to keep paying each month to get disney plus. Don't pay each month and you lose your movie you payed $30 for. Is that right? So disney pulled a google stadia? (and it bombed.)

The thing is people are not mad that disney is putting mulan vod. (well some are.) They are mad it's on a netflix like app. Yeah prime does this but prime, vudu and google play started out as vod apps first then prime added a netflix like service later. disney plus promoted itself as "pay one price and get it all" netflix like app. Now they are saying "you have to pay to get this when you didn't before". Then if it's a hit soon all new films will start doing this on plus.

Netflix will see it is a hit then say "oh you want to see our new big movie now? Pay up or wait." Then hbo max, then boomerang, then--

Not putting it on vudu and others to not share money makes disney look greedy and backstabes vudu, itunes and others.

It's not that disney is putting mulan on vod but it has no business going on a netflix like service like disney plus to start with.

That's what itunes, vudu, google play, fandango now, movies anywhere, and prime are for!

[Randall]

Nope. D+ is whatever Disney wants it to be. They are not beholden to peoples' preconceived notions, or fears about what other services might do. Besides, it's a way different world now than when the service was launched; this is a special circumstance. And all the other content is still there. Offering Mulan for folks that wish to pay for it changes nothing else.

[James]

This isn’t Disney making a movie for D+ and then asking subscribers to pay extra if they want to see it. This is a tentpole movie that got caught up in a once-in-a-lifetime act of god.

Also Mulan will go to those other services for sale eventually too. We’re only talking about the premium vod release, not the eventual digital purchase on iTunes, google, et al.

And to be honest, after the year Disney is having with the shutdown of just about every aspect of their business (theme parks closed, theatres closed, cruise lines closed, no live sports on ESPN...), they probably need to be a little greedy right now.

[gaastra]

Update on this. Disney says it's a "one time thing."

For now, Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek says “Mulan’s” big move isn’t reflective of a new business model for the company — even though it kind of is.

“We’re looking at ‘Mulan’ as a one-off as opposed to saying there’s some new business windowing model that we’re looking at,” Chapek said Tuesday on the company’s earnings call.

Disney may be signaling to exhibitors that it’s not turning its back on cinemas and that it will respect their ability to have exclusive access to the studio’s content, but Chapek wouldn’t be so interested in testing the waters if the possibility didn’t exist that the studio would dive back into streaming with some other oft-delayed theatrical release. There’s plenty to pick from on that score. Disney has shelved a number of buzzy titles since the pandemic shuttered theaters. Tellingly, Chapek said that Disney wants to “learn from it and see the actual number of transactions.” If those numbers are good, will “Mulan” still be a one-off?

It’s also notable that the form of premium VOD that Disney is testing is very different and potentially more lucrative than others deployed by studios. “Mulan” will cost roughly $10 more than Universal charged for “Trolls World Tour” and it’s sticking the price of a subscription on top of that bill. It remains to be seen if that will be too rich for consumers at a time when unemployment is reaching Great Depression-era levels and benefits may be cut. It certainly makes “Mulan” the priciest VOD release since the failed attempt to offer 2011’s “Tower Heist” to cable subscribers for $60 three weeks after it opened. Universal, the studio behind the Ben Stiller-Eddie Murphy comedy, abandoned those plans in the wake of exhibitor upheaval.

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/mula ... 234711185/


So from the sound of it you don't need to pay for disney plus to buy it. Not sure how that will work. Like offline play? Also mulan will still get a release overseas at the movies.

[EricJ]

Update on this. Disney says it's a "one time thing."

Unless Marvel's Black Widow ends up "busted to the minors", which is also a stated possibility at this point.
(And while I might conceivably pay for Mulan...hoo-boy!)

[gaastra]

And i was wrong. You have to be a Disney plus subscriber to get access to Mulan. All you are doing is getting "early access" and unlock the movie a few months early. Those who wait get to see it free.

Also john campea did a poll with over a thousand people if they are doing this and 89% said no!

[Ben]

The answer is just to wait and see it for "free" as part of your D+ sub. It will still arrive "earlier" that way than waiting for it to be delayed until next year.

After all, they didn’t charge for Artemis Foul. But then...I don’t think they *could* have dared charged anything for THAT, er, film.

Also, Mulan not getting a release in certain countries: a pal of mine, Kevin Markwick, gets namechecked for his amusing comments in THR:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... as-1306032

He makes a good point: why not offer this day and date for theatres that are willing to play it — and need the business...!?

[James]

I really don’t get the issue here. If Disney released Mulan as a vod title like Scoob or Trolls for anyone to pay and watch, no one would care. Because they’re limiting it vod to D+ members (and letting them watch it as much as they want during the vod window) that’s somehow a bad deal for D+ members? I could see if it were non D+ people complaining.

[Dacey]

It being a D+ “only” offer means many would only be able to watch the movie on their phones or laptops...hardly ideal for a film of this budget and scale. I mean, there are probably a lot of Milan discs already made. Might make more sense to release it in that format at the price they’re asking? (Also, feel free to merge the comments from elsewhere here; I’ve actually been skipping this thread since I don’t have D+ yet!)