Mulan release date bumped to August 21 as coronavirus pandemic rages on

Enlarge / We'll have to wait a little bit longer for Disney's hotly anticipated live-action remake of Mulan. (credit: YouTube/Disney)

The rumors this past week were true: Deadline Hollywood reports that Disney has decided to bump the release date of its live-action remake Mulan from July 25 to August 21, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to flare up around the world. The change is not unexpected: theaters still haven't reopened in China, and there are no concrete dates for reopening in New York and Los Angeles, either. Without those major markets, the financials just don't work.

According to a statement from The Walt Disney Studios: "While the pandemic has changed our release plans for Mulan and we will continue to be flexible as conditions require, it has not changed our belief in the power of this film and its message of hope and perseverance." The statement was written by the studios' co-chairman and chief creative officer, Alan Horn, as well as co-chairman Alan Bergman, who go on to say, "Director Niki Caro and our cast and crew have created a beautiful, epic, and moving film that is everything the cinematic experience should be, and that's where we believe it belongs-on the world stage and the big screen for audiences around the globe to enjoy together."

As Deadline notes, "The good news here for exhibition is that Disney has a plan to open Mulan in the near future, close to Tenet and not during the holidays or 2021 (or even on Disney+, for that matter)."

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