The ‘Shang-Chi’ Effect: ‘Eternals’ and 4 Other Disney Films Will Have Minimum 45-Day Window, ‘Encanto’ with 30

Tom Brueggemann
·2 min read
1

Domestic theaters just received the opposite of a bad late-Friday news dump. Disney has confirmed that they have made their long-awaited decision on length of theater exclusivity for their next wave of releases. It suggests the initial success of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” did exhibition’s cause some good.

Five of their next six titles, including Marvel’s “Eternals,” all of which are set to open during the rest of 2021, will not reach Disney+ or Hulu until at least 45 days after their theatrical release. Their animated “Encanto,” opening at Thanksgiving, will reach the streaming platform after 30 days.

More from IndieWire

That’s close to as much as theaters could hope for. Most films, irrespective of performance, have hit home availability by 45 days. Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal all have had some with same day release on various platforms, with Universal and other companies regularly going to Premium VOD after three weeks.

Of note, four of the six films come from their stockpile of 20th Century Fox productions. Because of deals they inherited, these titles give Disney less flexibility. But these dates show that they have enough to add to their streaming platform, even at 45 days.

“Encanto” will hit Disney+ just before Christmas, the ideal time for maximizing its response. Last year, Universal released “The Croods: A New Age” to PVOD, also a Thanksgiving release, to PVOD for the holiday to apparent significant viewing.

“Encanto” per sources will have no additional charge for the Disney+. These windows are specifically for the domestic market, with decisions on other territories to be made at the local level.

30 Day Window before Disney+

11/24 Encanto

45 Day Window before Disney+

10/15 The Last Duel

10/22 Ron’s Gone Wrong

11/5 Eternals

12/10 West Side Story

12/22 The King’s Man

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.