"Black Widow," "Cruella," And Other Disney Movies Will Premiere In Theaters And On Disney+ Simultaneously

Disney is changing how it releases some of its biggest movies, and theaters are not likely to love the news. The company said titles like Black Widow and Cruella will arrive in theaters and on Disney+ at the same time, with viewers on streaming asked to pay an extra fee.

The move follows Disney's earlier experiments with premium streaming releases, and it also includes Pixar's Luca. For movie theaters, though, the shift adds more pressure at a time when they are still trying to recover.

Now the question is whether this becomes Disney's new normal, or just another temporary pandemic-era experiment. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty

This decision might complicate their relationship with theaters even further. Theaters were among the hardest-hit industries during the pandemic, and the vaccines provided them with something to look forward to. However, the latest decisions by filmmakers have given them even more reasons to worry. For instance, Warner Bros. announced last December that it would premiere all its 2021 movies in theaters and online simultaneously, and theaters were not thrilled with this decision. Eventually, a deal was made for 2022: Warner Bros. will have a 45-day theatrical window before starting to stream their movies.

That puts even more pressure on theaters trying to bounce back.

Before you plan that spring trip, see how the CDC issued a Level 2 travel warning for 32 nations over a paralysis-linked illness outbreak.

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