‘Hamilton’ moves to Disney Plus, leaving theaters – diversity
4 min read
The first arrival of “Hamilton” at Disney Plus was welcome news to the audience, who will now have the opportunity to sit at home and instantly watch Lynn-Manuel Mirander’s betting music about the founding father of ten dollars. Movie theater owners, whose businesses have almost completely shut down due to the coronavirus epidemic, are less frustrated with the decision.
“Hamilton” will debut on the studio’s streaming service on July 3, a year before the movie is scheduled to star.
Disney captures most of the big movies – such as remakes of Marvel’s superhero visions “Black Widow” and “Mulan” – that could be released on the big screen when multiplexes are able to reopen. But taking “Hamilton” to the streaming signal means that Disney is more interested in experimenting with top-shelf productions, especially if most movie theaters are closed for a while.
The change in release plan has increased the studio’s reliance on Disney Plus at a time when most of the studio’s business was crippled by the epidemic. Theme parks have been shuttered, work on its cruise lines has stopped, retail stores have closed and film and TV productions have been suspended, leaving the streaming service as a single bright spot.
The company said last week that Disney Plus has attracted more than 54 million subscribers worldwide. It is critical that the company not only retains its subscribers, but also maintains that base as a home-based arrangement. The premiere of a Zeitgeist-defined show like “Hamilton” goes a long way towards filling the void until the next season of “Mandorian”.
However, the idea that Disney is softening its position on theatrical releases should be of concern to viewers. With theatrical earnings declining, the best interest for companies that bulk up their streaming services, including premium content, is that Disney Plus earners may get more buzz headlines before it hits theaters.
Some deny the importance of “Hamilton’s” shift, as it is not a traditional themed film like the popular film adaptations of “In the Heights”, “Less Miserables” or “West Side Story”. Instead, the movie “Hamilton” was recorded during a stage performance of the show, which was filmed at the Richard Rogers Theater with the help of the original Broadway cast.
Still, obviously Disney had high expectations about the possibility of drama. The studio looked to secure 75 million global rights to protect “Hamilton”, which had shopped at multiple studios across the city before Disney won. It was sold to Disney with the understanding that it would run in theaters.
The way coronavirus epidemics have resulted in the way Disney theaters viewed them could turn out to be even bigger and more troublesome. Its new CEO, Bob Chapek, recently cited Disney Plus and its direct-customer business growth as “top priorities” in its earnings call. He added that referring to theatrical releases, Disney “may need to make some changes to the overall strategy,” because theaters are not open or open, which requires someone to be financially sustainable. “
Other media chiefs have indicated similar interest in reconsidering the traditional way of doing business.
John Stankey, the newest chief operating officer of AT&T, the parent company of Warner Bros., recently said that they would “reconsider our drama model” once the coronavirus epidemic subsided. Jeff Shell, CEO of Universal, took it a step further, saying, “As soon as the theaters reopen, we expect to release movies in both formats,” indicating simultaneous release and on-demand in theaters.
These comments angered the theater owners. In particular, in response to Shell’s comments, AMC Theaters, the country’s largest circuit, has said it will no longer play Universal Movies.
“Hamilton” is not the only title intended to promote the Disney Plus lineup. “Artemis Foul”, which was also scheduled to debut in theaters, will now premiere the streaming service in June. Some suggest that anyone can make obscene cries about this film because it was delayed and it looks like a bomb during construction.
Future Disney offers, such as “The Alternals”, “Indiana Jones 5” and other movies, with the potential to sell $ 1 billion in tickets, will probably open in theaters initially. They still need to release traditional theatrical dramas to turn a profit. This promise could be even stronger if theaters are not open any more soon, especially in large markets such as New York and Los Angeles. The longer multiplexes remain dark, the more tempting studios are able to launch products that are ready to go.
National Essence. The theater owners, the commercial agency representing the movie’s theaters, had no comment about “Hamilton”. AMC theaters did not respond Of Variety Request for comment.
Industry insiders have suggested that the exhibition community was silent because it would prefer not to poop the beast that regularly makes the highest-grossing movie of the year, especially if it doesn’t risk any Marvel or Pixar movies. Disney has previously flexed its muscles with its theater owners, demanding and accepting more generous splitting than other studios, and insisting on better screen space for its films.
Smash musical with founding cast members such as Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr. and David Diggs, who watched “Hamilton” at Disney Plus, gives viewers a rare intellectual right to watch. People regularly pay hundreds of dollars for tickets to Broadway or tour productions – and if you can get your hands on it.
Disney Plus costs $ 6.99 per month. In the case of many visitors it is finally worth it to have access to stay in the room wherever it is.
