Disney CEO Says The Closures Could Affect Disney’s Approach To Movies

Disney4me · May 6, 2020

Although we’ve been building our own DIY movie theaters at home, it’s not the same as visiting one in person.

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Opening Night Pin and Ticket

Since many films have been rescheduled or postponed, it’s hard to know when we will be able to watch Disney movies on the big screen again. But today Disney CEO, Bob Chapek, spoke out on how the closures have affected Disney’s films.

We already commented on how the future of Disney movies could be via the On Demand platform, and Chapek’s comments acknowledge the company’s need to re-evaluate their future plans in light of the current closures.

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Chapek stated, “because of changing and evolving consumer dynamics or because of certain situations like COVID, [they] may have to make some changes to that overall strategy just because theaters aren’t open or aren’t open to the extent that anyone needs to be financially viable.” However, he did note that “[they] believe in the value of the theatrical experience,” so they will be reviewing their films on a case-by-case basis to determine what the best option is for viewers.

AMC Theater in Disney Springs

While Disney has already changed up its schedule for hits like Mulan and Spider-Man 3, there could be a shift towards releasing more films through Disney+ or premium video-on-demand. Recently, Artemis Fowl was one of the films scheduled for a theatrical release that was moved to Disney+ instead.

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Just like construction has been shut down in the parks, production on Disney films and television shows have also halted. Although there is no certain time for when the sets will reopen, Chapek stated that there would be new safety regulations with masks and similar procedures to the ones in Disney parks when production does resume.

©Disney/Marvel

Despite the reported $1 billion in overall company losses, Disney+, Hulu, and other streaming services have contributed greatly to Disney’s revenue (especially since there are over 50 million Disney+ subscribers and counting).

©Disney Plus

While it may not be certain if the future of Disney films will be through streaming services or not, there is the possibility that movie theaters will be reopening this summer for big blockbuster hits. We’re thankful everyone is doing what they can to keep others safe (keep it up!), but we do miss grabbing popcorn and a soda to watch a Disney movie on the big screen!