BURBANK, CALIFORNIA (BLOOMBERG) – Walt Disney Co is releasing the latest Star Wars film on its Disney+ streaming service months two sooner than expected – the latest sign that the coronavirus is accelerating the shift toward home viewing.
"The Rise of Skywalker" will be available for streaming on May 4, the company said Monday (April 27), less than five months after it opened in theaters. The film has been available for purchase or rental since March 13, a date that was also moved up because so many people are stuck at home due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Hollywood has historically stuck to a strict schedule for films going from theaters to homes. But the virus has closed cinemas and upended that.
Pixar's "Onward," released in theaters on March 6, moved to Disney+ this month, when it would normally be available only on big screens. "Artemis Fowl," about a 12-year-old criminal mastermind, will skip theaters entirely and appear on the service in June.
With cinemas around the world shuttered, Hollywood is looking at a disastrous 2020, though Disney still plans theatrical releases this year for some its potentially biggest films, such as "Mulan" and "Black Widow."
Disney+, meanwhile, has signed up more than 50 million subscribers globally since its debut in November, a rollout that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings acknowledged was "stunning."
With film and TV production also shut down, it will be a challenge for Disney to create new content for its various outlets.
The Fourth Disney's Lucasfilm, which the company bought in 2012, is marketing the Star Wars release with its typical promotional fervor.
The studio has long promoted events around May 4 as Star Wars Day – employing the pun "May the 4th be Read More – Source
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