Disney is reportedly considering releasing its next batch of live-action remakes of animated classics straight to Disney+ instead of theaters. The projects being considered include the 101 Dalmatians-inspired Cruella with Emma Stone, Tom Hanks‘ Pinocchio, and Peter Pan and Wendy. The news comes after Disney’s decision to release Multan and the upcoming Pixar movie Soul on the streaming platform while many theaters across the country remain close due to the pandemic.
Disney is considering releasing the three films on Disney+, although they were all greenlit with plans for traditional theatrical releases, Deadline reports. It is not clear if any of them will be available to all Disney+ subscribers or will require a premium charge. So far, Mulan is the only film to be released on Disney+ with a premium upcharge. It was first available for $29.99 and will be available with no additional fee beginning on Dec. 4. Soul will be released on Disney+ on Christmas Day without any upcharge.
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Cruella stars Stone as the titular Cruella de Vil and is directed by I, Tonya filmmaker Craig Gillespie. It is based on the 1961 animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians and inspired by Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel of the same name. This is the studio’s second attempt at a live-action take on the story, as a live-action remake was already produced in 1996 with Glenn Close as Cruella. The new film is scheduled for release on May 28, 2021.
Pinocchio is another take on the classic story of a wooden puppet who longed to be a boy and will be directed by Robert Zemeckis. Peter Pan and Wendy will be directed by Pete’s Dragon‘s David Lowery and is set to star Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell. Jude Law is starring as Captain Hook and Alexander Monoly and Ever Anderson will play the title roles. According to Deadline, Marvel’s Black Widow is not being considered for a Disney+ release before it hits theaters.
Disney’s plans surfaced just after Warner Bros. announced its tentpole Wonder Woman 1984 will be released on the HBO Max streaming platform on Christmas Day, the same day it hits theaters. The movie is already complete and has had several release dates. Before the pandemic began, it was scheduled for June 5, but was delayed until August, then October, and finally Christmas Day. There were reports Warner Bros. would push it to 2021, but the studio decided against that this week.
