Disney has finally announced more details on their upcoming streaming service Disney+. It is set to launch later this year but they have not announced the price of subscription yet. Earlier they tentatively called it Disney Play, but it is now confirmed to be called Disney+. They also confirmed it will be fully family friendly with no R-rated movies.
Additionally, they will continue their removal of Disney-owned franchises such as Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar. Netflix has already begun their cancellation of Marvel shows and is ending their relationship with Disney, with Disney giving up licensing fees totaling around $300 million a year. This move will also include all MCU and Star Wars products, as well. “Disney has already shown some disposition to forego short-term revenues in order to develop the streaming business, by pulling content from Netflix once its contract expires at the end of the calendar 2018 film slate,” analyst Alexia Quadrani stated. “While Disney management has not yet commented on specific price, the company has stated that Disney+ will be ‘substantially below’ the price of Netflix.” All of these movies and shows will eventually make their way to Disney+ along with the newer counterparts. In addition to a vault of all of the original films, Disney has also claimed fans can expect some of their favorite sequels to be direct-to-video, found solely on the new Disney+. For example, Lady and the Tramp will have a new live action film, and head straight to Disney+ rather than hitting the big screen.
In spite of the high price Disney paid to give up licensing fees to Netflix, the goal is for Disney to gain exclusivity over its products. This spans across all areas, including YouTube and even on TV airing of Disney films. “While there is little question there are more direct-to-consumer services today than ultimately should survive, we have no doubt that Disney+ remains on the short list of products that should prevail longer-term,” Quadrani noted. “Our confidence in the resilient success of Disney+ comes from the company’s unmatched brand recognition, extensive premium content, and unparalleled ecosystem to market the service.”
Kevin Feige, CEO of Marvel, allayed fears that Marvel series currently streaming on other platforms would come to an end. “They will be entirely interwoven with both the current MCU, the past MCU, and the future of the MCU,” he affirmed. Disney also plans on releasing a series based on the Monsters Inc. franchise as well as High School the Musical.
Another exciting event will be the introduction of new Star Wars items, such as a live action show known as The Mandalorian, which will be executive produced by Jon Favreau. According to the synopsis: “After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.”
Needless to say, Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars fans all have much to look forward to with the imminent Disney+.