Disney has two highly-anticipated movies hitting theaters very soon: Free Guy arrives on August 13 and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on September 3. However, unlike Black Widow and Jungle Cruise, these two films will not be available at release on Disney+’s Premier Access. During an investor call, Disney CEO revealed why.
“[Free Guy] is a title that we acquired under the distribution assumption and set of agreements,” explained Chapek during the call. “We don’t have that degree of freedom on Free Guy.”
Ryan Reynolds’ upcoming action/comedy Free Guy was originally a 20th Century Fox production, prior to Disney’s acquisition of the company. Because of deals made behind close doors, it will be released theatrically.
If you include Deadpool’s cocaine rider, this is the most expensive reaction video ever made. pic.twitter.com/XvhIQMtBfS
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) July 13, 2021
For Shang-Chi, things are a bit different. “We think it is going to be an interesting experiment for us on Shang-Chi,” Chapek explained. “It is only a 45-day [theatrical] window. Being able to take a Marvel title to the service after going theatrical will be another point to inform our actions going forward on our titles… When we planned Shang-Chi, it was planned being in a much more healthy theatrical environment. Due to the distribution agreements and due to the practicality of last-minute changes, it wouldn’t be possible.”
The only way to see either of these movies on release day is to head to theaters. Because of this 45-day window, Shang-Chi should arrive on Disney+ on Monday, October 18 at the earliest. Free Guy’s theatrical window was not mentioned during the call, but if it has a 45-day window, we could see it released on a streaming service on Monday, September 27. However, it’s unknown at this time as to whether Disney will release Free Guy on Disney+. Because of its adult content, it’s more than likely it would get a release on Hulu.
Free Guy arrives on Friday, and in GameSpot’s Free Guy review, Chris E. Hayner said, “Free Guy tells an inspiring story of someone trying to figure out who they truly are in a world they feel estranged from. It just so happens that this story is disguised as a very entertaining blockbuster action film set within the world of a video game. The cast is fantastic, the action is better than you could have hoped for, and at the end, chances are you’ll be dying to find out when the next installment will be. While the streamer cameos stick out like a sore thumb, they cannot topple just how enjoyable this movie is and will continue to be upon rewatch.”
Source: Gamespot
