The Thanksgiving weekend at the box office got a bit more grim & empty ahead of the weekend. Pixar’s Soul, which was set open on November 20, will now bypass theaters & debut on Disney+ on Christmas Day.
The release date move was expected following the departure of MGM’s No Time to Die from that same November day but the Disney+ debut wasn’t a sure thing. Disney considered moving it to another date for a theatrical release but this release strategy ultimately proved to be the most logical choice. This now leaves Universal and Dreamworks Animation’s Croods: A New Age as the sole Thanksgiving wide entry on November 25. That animated feature is expected to have a short theatrical window, heading into PVOD by Christmas. Soul will get a theatrical release in those foreign territories where Disney+ isn’t available. Unlike Mulan, it looks like Soul will be streaming at no extra cost on the platform!
All eyes are on Wonder Woman 1984 which moved to Christmas Day after several delays due to the pandemic. Will it stay put? I highly doubt it but only time will tell. I will say this is another blow to exhibitors looking for new content as they struggle to stay afloat.
