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Disney has done a major overhaul to its 2021 slate, shifting release dates for major movies, including Black Widow and other big players. With the shifting dates comes the news that Black Widow and Cruella will both be releasing in theaters and on Disney Plus simultaneously.
While Cruella will hold its original release date of May 28, Black Widow has been pushed from May 7 to July 9. Both of these will be available through Premier Access, which means they cost an additional $30/£19.99. Disney is yet to announce if the movies will mirror other Premier Access titles in the sense that once you pay the Premier Access fee, you keep the "rental" for as long as you have Disney Plus. (For more on the initiative, check out our full 'what is Premier Access?' explainer.)
Pushing Black Widow means that additional titles will also shuffle. Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – previously set for July – has been pushed to September 3. (Currently, Shang Chi is still planned for a traditional theatrical release.) Here are the other titles affected, as well as their new release dates:
- Free Guy – shifted to August 13th
- The King's Man – shifted to December 22nd
- Deep Water – shifted to January 14th, 2022
- Death of the Nile – shifted to February 11th, 2022
The final film affected is Pixar's Luca. The movie will no longer head to theaters and will instead stream exclusively on Disney Plus at no additional fee on June 8.
The chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment commented on the announcement. Stating that "By leveraging a flexible distribution strategy in a dynamic marketplace that is beginning to recover from the global pandemic, we will continue to employ the best options to deliver The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled storytelling to fans and families around the world."
For more on Marvel's upcoming slate, check out our guide to Marvel Phase 4, and if you're looking for something to watch now, these are all the best movies on Disney Plus.
