With huge uncertainty remaining over the future of the theatrical marketplace and an increasing number of movies foregoing traditional releases – including the news that Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 1984 will receive a simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max release – Deadline has revealed that Disney is currently assessing its upcoming slate of tentpole releases.
According to a report from Deadline, Disney remains committed to a theatrical release of Marvel Studios’ Phase Four-launching Black Widow movie and is not contemplating a PVOD or Disney+ debut similar to that of the live-action Mulan or Pixar’s Soul. The Scarlett Johansson-led solo movie has already shifted twice due to the global health crisis and is currently slated to open in May 2021 – a year later than originally planned – which gives the Mouse House plenty of time to assess the landscape.
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However, it appears that several of Disney’s upcoming projects are under consideration for Disney+ including director Craig Gillespie’s Cruella starring Emma Stone, Robert Zemeckis’ Pinocchio with Tom Hanks, and David Lowery’s Peter Pan and Wendy. It’s unclear yet whether these would be offered on a premium basis similar to Mulan, or if Disney will offer them free to its growing Disney+ subscriber base.
In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Black Widow is being directed by Cate Shortland (Lore) and sees Scarlett Johansson reprising her role as Natasha Romanoff alongside Florence Pugh (Fighting With My Family) as Yelena Belova, O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Mason, David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Rachel Weisz (The Favourite) as Melina Vostokoff/Iron Maiden, Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) as Dreykov and Olivier Richters (The King’s Man) in an as-yet-unrevealed role.
Originally published November 21, 2020. Updated November 22, 2020.
