Entertainment
Disney to release remaining upcoming 2021 movies in theaters
Walt Disney Co has announced that it will release "Eternals" and "West Side Story" and the rest of its movies which had released in 2021 exclusively in theaters before sending them to streaming.
The streaming company had experimented Covid-19 with debuting some movies on the Disney+ at the same time they ran in theaters too. Cinema operators have been closely watching how Disney, which has dominated movie box offices in recent years, would handle its upcoming slate as the Delta variant slowed audiences' return to multiplexes.
Disney said in a statement that the animated musical "Enactor" will play in theaters for 30 days starting Nov. 24 and head to Disney+ just before Christmas. The film tells the story of a family who lives in a magical house in the mountains of Colombia. It includes music written by "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
All other Disney releases, including the Marvel movie "Eternals" in November and Steven Spielberg's revival of "West Side Story" in December, will play exclusively in cinemas for at least 45 days, the company said.
Disney's most recent film, Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," just set a Labor Day weekend record with $94.7 million in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters. The film, featuring a predominantly Asian cast including Simu Liu and Awkwafina, played only at cinemas.
Disney's other 2021 films are scheduled as "The Last Duel" and animated comedy "Ron's Gone Wrong" in October, and action spy film "The King's Man" in December.