Disney Moves Jungle Cruise from Theatrical Exclusivity to Day-and-Date Release on Disney Plus

Dwayne Johnson as Frank and Emily Blunt as Lily in JUNGLE CRUISE. Photo by Frank Masi. © 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Disney has pushed the upcoming family actioner Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt and based on the classic Disneyland ride, to a day-and-date release in theaters and on Disney Plus.

The release date for the film—July 30, 2021—will stay the same, with moviegoers now being able to see the film in cinemas or pay a Premier Access fee for home viewing. Said star and producer Dwayne Johnson via social media: “The most important thing with our movie was to ALWAYS take care of families around the world by giving you options to watch it.”

While some studios have taken a more sweeping approach to the shifting theatrical exclusivity landscape—with Warner Bros. pushing their entire 2021 slate day-and-date, for example, or Universal and Paramount moving towards a 30-45 day window for major titles—Disney has so far approached the question of theatrical exclusivity on a title-by-title basis. 2020 saw the studio push The One and Only Ivan, Hamilton, Mulan, and Pixar’s Soul exclusively to Disney Plus, which was launched in November, 2019. Among 2021 releases, Raya and the Last Dragon and upcoming releases Black Widow (July 9) and Cruella (May 28) are subject to a day-and-date release under the Disney Plus Premier Access banner, meaning subscribers will have to pay an additional $29.99 to watch each of them upon release.

Pixar’s Luca, previously scheduled for theatrical release on June 18, will be released exclusively on Disney Plus in for no premium fee.

Dwayne Johnson as Frank and Emily Blunt as Lily in JUNGLE CRUISE. Photo by Frank Masi. © 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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