Disney's Moolah-n

I’ve made my Disney apologetics no secret: I like Disney. I like their movies. I like how cleverly-written they are. I like how they capture nostalgia. I’ve even liked some of their business decisions. However, fan or no fan, I’m not blind to their nonsense, especially lately.

See, I’m not a huge fan of Mulan. I like it, but it’s always felt like being a Disney film held it back. It could’ve been way better had it doubled-down on its themes of imperialism and sexism. But what we got was still good, despite having one of the biggest tonal whiplashes in movie history. (Don’t think I didn’t notice!)

So when I heard the movie was being remade in live-action, I was more on-board than most. True, the songs would be absent and the story tweaked, but if it meant getting a unique spin then so be it! Despite its lead actress’s tone-deaf remarks on the Hong Kong protests, I was interested in seeing what this remake could offer. The trailers certainly helped.

Unfortunately, COVID had different plans. Initially, Mulan was slated for a Spring 2020 release, alongside Black Widow. But the global lockdown and poor response to COVID from The US caused constant delays and a retooling of its release. Mulan, like Tenet, was doomed to never be released in theatres, instead going with a streaming option. That’s exactly what happened.

Obviously, in a move that both shocked everyone and surprised no one, the movie was announced for Disney+. And it was announced for a one-time premium of $30 US. This is on top of Disney+ already costing $70 US a year. The levels of chutzpah here can’t really be articulated, but I’ll try anyway!

Firstly, why charge a one-time premium? Movie theatres don’t even do that, and they’ve gotten away with lots of suspicious stuff! (How much do you think a bag of popcorn costs to manufacture?) They also don’t restrict how many times you’re allowed to see something. You simply go back and buy another ticket, and the theatres will graciously accept your money!

Secondly, since I get that Mulan couldn’t come to theatres, why charge extra on Disney+? The people who are interested probably are already sucked into your ecosystem, Disney. There’s no real reason to charge up the wazoo, especially when you didn’t do that for Hamilton! This is an opportunity to show that you’re better than movie theatres, and you’re bungling it!

Thirdly, even if you want to charge a little extra, unethical as it is, why $30? That’s the price of a DVD purchase. I know because you charged that consistently with Studio Ghibli’s catalogue. And little old me, not realizing streaming was the way of the future, kept buying them, so the price is etched in my mind. If you really want to be competitive, Disney, then maybe only up-charge ¼ of that?

And fourthly, what does this accomplish? Did you expect more excitement? We’re in the middle of a recession-soon-to-be-depression, many people can’t afford to both purchase up-charged entertainment and pay for living expenses. It might not seem it, but now’s a bad time to do something this outlandish. Especially since some people will still pirate your content.

I get it, you were screwed out of a theatre release. It sucks, it really does. But while releasing a highly-anticipated feature on Disney+ is a viable alternative, and might even be the best option, charging a one-time fee of $30 isn’t how you do it. It might actually deter some people! And I say that as someone who was interested.

It’s also worrying because it signals an abuse of power. Disney, with their shady acquisition and restructuring of 20th Century Fox, has already skirted anti-trust laws and made the moviegoing experience more difficult. Perhaps I’m being cynical, but this is the kind of dystopian price gouging you hear about in science-fiction, the kind you’d read in a Phillip K. Dick novel or watch on the big-screen. It’s sketchy nonsense you’d expect in fantasy, not reality. So why’s it happening in reality, and with Disney?

Perhaps I’m missing something, and Disney knows what I don’t. It’s not out of the question that they’ve anticipated the backlash. The up-charge, shady as it is, could end up working in their favour. All of this is possible, I’m simply a guy who happens to be a Disney fan.

But rest assured, it’s definitely questionable behaviour! I know that the die-hards will defend this anyway, as they did Disney’s purchase of Fox, stating that it’s “good for Disney fans because __”, but that doesn’t assuage my concerns. Because this could be the future of how entertainment functions if Disney’s decision pays off. In a world where streaming’s increasingly the norm, is price gouging what we should anticipate from now on? Is this the new trend?

Because if it is, I’ll stick with physical media for as long as possible. Change my mind.

(Update: it turns out Black Widow’s going for the same strategy. Make of that what you will.)