Mulan was originally set for a March 27 release before the coronavirus pandemic hit which shifted the film to its current July 24 release date. As the date draws closer, many have noticed a lack of promotion for the film’s release, and this, along with a few other factors, is making insiders believe Disney is likely going to push the film to another date.
The big issue at hand is that the coronavirus is beginning to surge in a number of states across the U.S. The film needs theaters in Los Angeles and New York City to be open since they are the two largest moviegoing markets in the country. New York and L.A. are both a concern despite the fact that AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark all claim they will be open in time for Mulan’s arrival. California gave the go-ahead for movie theaters to reopen over a week ago but Los Angeles County has yet to give theaters the ok to begin opening their doors. New York City could be in better shape but the exact opening date for their theaters hasn’t been set in stone, although a late July date has been thrown around.
“Deadline” also reports that when Tenet moved from July 17 to July 31, this puts all the pressure on Mulan to now be the first tentpole release to test the waters with movie theaters reopening initially at limited capacity. This is a position Disney doesn’t want to particularly be in, especially on a film that cost upwards of $200 million to make. They were willing to let Tenet take the hit first, just to see what the reaction would be from moviegoers who are either excited or nervous to go back to the movies as the coronavirus is still very much a part of our lives.
There’s also the matter of China, where there has likewise been a resurgence of COVID-19 cases. Mulan was expected to dominate in that territory before COVID-19 tarnished then entire China box office. China is a huge overseas market for films like this and Mulan will definitely take a hit if China isn’t in a position to properly house the film. This could very well be a gamble that Disney may not want to take and we should have a definitive answer on this very soon.
As of now, Mulan is still set to open on July 24.
