Film, News
Jul 24, 2020

Disney Unschedules ‘Mulan,’ And Also Pushes Back ‘Avatar’ As Well As ‘Star Wars’ Films a Year

Disney is taking sweeping changes to their programming due to Covid-19. Here is what we know so far.

Copyright: The Walt Disney Company

Disney has taken Mulan off the theatrical release calendar amid the ongoing pandemic and a surge in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. Disney didn’t provide further comment regarding Mulan‘s release date, besides stating that the live-action adventure epic was being undated. While the company has been a champion of the theatrical experience, it is also investing heavily in its new streaming service, Disney+. Which has seen massive success of its titles like acquiring Hamilton, and now a feature of Disney’s long running Broadway’s Aladdin performance is supposedly in the works for Disney+.

Mulan was among numerous changes made to Disney’s release calendar. All currently scheduled Avatar and Star Wars films are being delayed by a year. Avatar 2 moves from Dec. 17, 2021, to Dec. 16, 2022; Avatar 3 moves from Dec. 22, 2023, to Dec. 20, 2024; Avatar 4 from Dec. 19, 2025, to Dec. 18, 2026; and Avatar 5 from Dec. 17, 2027, to Dec. 22, 2028. The reshuffling underscores the challenges facing Hollywood studios amid ongoing theater closures and production delays. Disney also revealed that the next untitled Star Wars pic, previously dated for Dec. 16, 2022, flies to Dec. 22, 2023, while the film after that moves from Dec. 20, 2024, to Dec. 19, 2025. and a third untitled film from Dec. 18, 2026, to Dec. 17, 2027.

“There is no one more disappointed about this delay than me,” Avatar filmmaker James Cameron said in an Instagram post.