Roundup: Disney rolls out ambitious plans in global streaming expansion

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, December 11, 2020
Adjust font size:

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Walt Disney Co. on Thursday rolled out ambitious plans to release a slate of new titles in the coming years of its global streaming expansion.

The U.S. entertainment giant will release approximately 10 Star Wars series, 10 Marvel series, 15 Disney live action, Disney Animation and Pixar series, as well as 15 all-new Disney live action, Disney Animation and Pixar features on its streaming service, Disney+, over the next few years, the company announced at its 2020 Investor Day.

The company has said it plans to release at least 100 new titles per year on Disney+.

As of Dec. 2, the company's portfolio of direct-to-consumer (DTC) services has exceeded 137 million global paid subscriptions, including 11.5 million ESPN+ subscribers, 38.8 million Hulu subscribers and 86.8 million Disney+ subscribers since its launch in November 2019, the entertainment giant said.

Disney "now expects its streaming services to hit 300-350 million total subscriptions by fiscal 2024, driven primarily by a significant increase in content output," it said.

"The tremendous success we've achieved across our unique portfolio of streaming services, with more than 137 million subscriptions worldwide, has bolstered our confidence in our acceleration toward a DTC-first business model," Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek said in a release.

"With our amazing creative teams and our ever-growing collection of the high-quality branded entertainment that consumers want, we believe we are incredibly well positioned to achieve our long-term goals," he said.

Disney also shared new details of its new general entertainment content brand Star, which will be included as part of Disney+ in select international markets.

Disney has said the Star brand will serve as home to thousands of hours of television and movies from Disney's creative studios, including Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, 20th Television, and more, enhanced by the addition of local programming from the regions where available.

Disney+ will be updated to include the Star brand on Feb. 23, 2021 in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The streaming service will continue its global rollout, now with Star, in new markets beginning with Singapore also on Feb. 23, followed by Eastern Europe, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong later in 2021, according to the company.

Seemingly an unstoppable entertainment juggernaut, Disney has dominated the global box office in recent years. The company grossed around 13 billion U.S. dollars in the global box office last year. With the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate film industries worldwide, Hollywood studios are trying to survive the crisis with new movie releases.

Warner Bros. Pictures Group, which announced earlier this month the release of all its 2021 films on a streaming service and in theaters at the same time, Disney will premier some blockbusters in theaters exclusively in the coming years, while others will move online.

During an Investor Day presentation, company executive shared details about upcoming productions.

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced an impressive number of exciting Disney+ series and new feature films destined to expand the Star Wars galaxy like never before.

The new Star Wars titles announced for Disney+ include "Ahsoka," "Rangers of the New Republic," "Obi-Wan Kenobi," "Andor," "The Bad Batch," "Star Wars: Visions," "Lando," "The Acolyte" and "A Droid Story."

The next feature film in the Star Wars franchise schedule for December 2023 will be "Rogue Squadron," directed by Patty Jenkins of the "Wonder Woman" franchise. The story will follow a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride, and move the saga into the future era of the galaxy.

"We have a vast and expansive timeline in the Star Wars mythology spanning over 25,000 years of history in the galaxy - with each era being a rich resource for storytelling," said Kennedy.

"Now with Disney+, we can explore limitless story possibilities like never before and fulfill the promise that there is truly a Star Wars story for everyone," she added.

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, shared plans for the expansion and future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, revealing details about upcoming content for both Disney+ and theaters.

Among dozens of upcoming projects, Feige revealed three new series for Disney+, including "Secret Invasion," "Ironheart," and "Armor."

He also announced a host of new feature films, including "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," "Captain Marvel 2," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," "Fantastic Four," "Blade," "Black Panther 2," "Eternals," "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," and "Thor: Love and Thunder."

According to the studio, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," will debut on July 9, 2021. The film is the first Marvel superhero film with an almost entirely Asian cast, including some of Chinese descent in the leading roles, such as Simu Liu, Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh.

Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, confirmed the studio will produce "Hocus Pocus 2," "Three Men and a Baby," "Cheaper by the Dozen," and "Sister Act 3."

Additional new titles from the studio include the compelling new live-action remake of "Pinocchio," "Peter Pan & Wendy," "Disenchanted," a live-action take on the animated classic "The Little Mermaid," and a live-action prequel to "The Lion King."

"There are so many incredible dimensions to this company, and my team and I have the honor of getting to focus on a treasure trove of iconic characters and stories that spring from the Disney imagination, as we continue to build on Disney's singular legacy of creating magic for audiences worldwide," said Bailey.

Walt Disney Animation Studios' Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee revealed the upcoming feature films "Encanto," "Raya and the Last Dragon," as well as several new series for Disney+ including "Baymax," "Zootopia+," "Tiana," "Moana, The Series" and "Iwaju."

The titles announced by Pixar Animation Studios include "Soul," "Burrow," "Pixar Popcorn," "Luca," "Dug Days," "Turning Red," "Lightyear," "Cars," and "Win or Lose." Enditem

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
ChinaNews App Download
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter