During the COVID pandemic, many movies couldn’t enjoy a traditional theatrical release. Hence, production companies utilized streaming services to give them a launch platform.
During that time, there was a lot of controversy as blockbuster movies missed the chance for theatrical success, heading straight to the streaming service. Warner Bros. and Disney were the two most affected production companies. By the way, here are Disney’s releases this December.
Fortunately, despite a somewhat slow 2024 for some, Disney plans to premiere three films already available on Disney+ in cinemas worldwide for the first time in their history. Soul, Turning Red, and Luca never premiered in theaters, but that will change in early 2024.
Three great movies that went unnoticed
After their release on Disney Plus over the past three years, Soul will arrive in US theaters on January 12, Turning Red on February 9, and Luca on March 22.
What the three films have in common (besides being from Pixar) is that the Covid-19 pandemic thwarted the original release plans, causing all of them to debut on one of the top streaming services instead of in theaters.
While this was great fun for Pixar fans staying at home and for caregivers of bored children, it meant that movie enthusiasts never got to see the films as their creators intended.
As expected from Pixar, each film will also be accompanied by an animated short. They are titled Burrow for Soul, Kitbull for Turning Red, and For The Birds for Luca.
Why does Disney bring these Pixar movies to the big screen?
The usual answer to these questions is money. Disney’s film lineup for 2024 isn’t exactly packed. There’s only one Marvel movie, Deadpool 3, and the next Pixar film, Inside Out 2, isn’t releasing until summer.
So, getting people into theaters in January, February, and March could bring in a few dollars for Mickey Mouse’s coffers. Although it’s unlikely to make much money since many have already seen these movies at home… and more than once.
It’ll be very interesting to see if these films become box office hits. As Deadline points out, the release of Turning Red could have proceeded, but Disney opted to make it exclusively for streaming to boost Disney+ instead.
