Disney’s return-has announced that its forthcoming films Free Guy and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be the studio’s first two theatrical releases (on August 13th and September 3rd, respectively).
When they do hit theatres, though, it will be for a much shorter period of time, with just 45 days of theatrical exclusivity rather than the usual 90 days.
The studio isn’t the only one around: Warner Bros. has already stated that its return to theatres in 2022 would have a 45-day window; Paramount has stated that upcoming blockbusters such as Mission: Impossible 7 will have 45-day windows, while smaller films will have a 30-day window. AMC and Cinemark have both signed agreements with Universal: smaller films.
(with domestic openings of less than $50 million) can be found on paid video services after a 17-day span, whereas larger films (with higher openings) can be found on paid video services after 31 days.Even the biggest movies in the world make the majority of their money in theatres over the first few weeks, and the longer films are held exclusive to theatres, the longer companies like Disney and WarnerMedia have to wait until they can get them into the normal paid video slots and into streaming services like Disney Plus and HBO Max.