Disney Shakes Up Film Release Schedule ... Again

With more movie theaters starting to reopen after COVID-19 pandemic-induced closures and more people subscribing to its Disney+ streaming service, Walt Disney Co DIS has reorganized the release schedule for its major 2021 films.

Coming Soon: The studio will release “Cruella,” starring Emma Stone as the glamorous dognapper, on May 28 in theaters and as a “premier access” title on Disney+. The film was originally meant for a December 2020 release.

“Black Widow,” starring Scarlett Johansson as the eponymous superhero, will have a similar release strategy on July 9; it was originally scheduled for May 2020.

However, the animated Pixar feature “Luca,” a comedy about two teenage sea monsters who take on human form to explore the Italian Riviera, will forgo a theatrical release and premiere exclusively on Disney+ on June 18, accompanied by a new short film, "Utopia."

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Other Disney titles being readied for theatrical release this year are the Ryan Reynolds' action-comedy “Free Guy,” Aug. 13, and the Marvel extravaganza “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," Sept. 3. “The King's Man,” a spy thriller that was originally meant for a November 2019 release, will be out on Dec. 22.

See You Next Year: Two long-delayed Disney releases have also been scheduled for theatrical playdates, albeit not during 2021.

“Deep Water,” a psychological thriller starring Ben Affleck, was originally planned for a November 2020 release but is now on target for Jan. 14, 2022. “Death on the Nile,” an all-star remake of the Agatha Christie murder mystery that was meant for a December 2019 release, will finally get screened on Feb. 11, 2022.

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(A scene from “Luca,” premiering on Disney+ on June 18. Photo courtesy Pixar.)