Disney confirms that "Mulan" will get a theatrical release in China "very soon," releasing a new poster. /Screenshot via Weibo
Chinese moviegoers will get to watch the much-delayed blockbuster "Mulan" in cinemas "very soon," Disney said on Monday, as fans elsewhere continue to reel from the company's decision to release the film online.
Disney announced the movie's theater release in the Chinese mainland on microblogging platform Weibo, along with a new poster for the live-action adaption. It did not give a specific date for its premiere.
The hashtag about the upcoming release has since garnered 330 million views, with more than 80,000 posts on Weibo.
Chinese film fans took to social media to express their excitement, with many asking for the release date and saying that they can't wait for the "big day."
A combination photo of the new poster for "Mulan" and comments to Disney's announcement. /Photos via Weibo
The 200-million-U.S.-dollar live-action remake of Disney's animated classic of the same title is expected to be the company's biggest hit of the year.
Featuring an all-Asian cast, the story centers around the legendary Chinese heroine who pretended to be a man to replace her old father in the army. It was partially filmed in China and the titular character is portrayed by Chinese actress Liu Yifei.
Disney+ launch plan booed by fans, cinema operators
The entertainment giant announced last Tuesday that the latest production would not be shown in cinemas in a number of countries and will instead premiere on streaming platform Disney+ on September 4 in the U.S., Canada, and Australia because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has closed theaters.
A still from the film "Mulan" /CFP
"Mulan" was supposed to land in theaters back in March but its premiere was delayed twice – first to July, then to August – before Disney made the "disappointing" decision to stream it online, as fans and cinema operators have said.
Disney's move, described by CEO Bob Chapek as a "one-off," has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, and is the latest blow to movie theaters, which have been trying to stay afloat after months of shutdown because of COVID-19.
The unprecedented decision has been strongly criticized by many cinema owners with one in France even taking his frustration a step further and destroying a cardboard poster for the movie. The UK Cinema Association said Disney's movie is "hugely disappointing," according to the BBC.
"We are looking at Mulan as a one-off, as opposed to trying to say that there is some new business window model we are looking at," Chapek noted.
Screenshot of a video posted on Twitter showing a cinema owner in France using a baseball bat to smash a pop-up poster for "Mulan." / via Twitter
"We see this as an opportunity to bring this incredible film to a broad audience currently unable to go to cinemas, while also further enhancing the value and attractiveness of a Disney+ subscription," he said.
Most cinemas in low risk cities and regions in China have reopened over the past few weeks, showing a mix of new releases like "Dolittle" and old titles such as "Interstellar."
As more movie theaters welcome audiences back, more long-awaited big-ticket titles are getting theatrical releases, including domestic war epic "The Eight Hundred" slated for August 21, as well as Christopher Nolan's time-bending espionage movie "Tenet" set for September 4.