Anna Daniels
Mulan is hardly the only Disney title to be affected by growing fears about COVID-19. The House of Mouse also delayed the theatrical premiere of the long-awaited The New Mutants, a gritty comic book adaptation that had been delayed three times in the past. Like Mulan, The New Mutants doesn’t yet have a new debut date — but according to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney will select new debuts for its postponed films later this year. This means that Mulan, The New Mutants, and Antlers, the upcoming sci-fi horror housed at Disney subsidiary Searchlight Pictures that has also been delayed, should still premiere in 2020 (unlike Universal Pictures’ Fast and Furious 9, which was delayed nearly a full year due to coronavirus concerns).
Clearly, Disney isn’t messing about amid the coronavirus pandemic — and that extends beyond the borders of its film division. The Walt Disney Company also confirmed on Thursday, March 12 that it would be shutting down its Anaheim, California-based Disneyland theme park until at least end of the month. Such a closure has happened only three times in the past — after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, and on September 11, 2001 — which further highlights Disney’s swift and pragmatic response to the situation.
Sure, it’s disappointing for those looking forward to seeing Mulan in live action, but Disney is wise to pull the film and hold off on releasing it until the coronavirus clears. It keeps people from being tempted to go to theaters to see the flick, and potentially exposing themselves or others to the illness, and ensures that the company won’t lose money on a movie that a lot of people probably won’t see because they’re staying indoors.
Written by: Looper
