Making the Case for a $30 Mulan Purchase

It's a pandemic. Most U.S. movie theaters have been closed since March. Responsible foreign markets get to watch Christopher Nolan movies as the good lord intended them to, on a big screen, with Tom Cruise geeking out in the seat next to you. Meanwhile, you're stuck at home trying to find a diamond in the rough on Netflix or Apple TV+. So when Disney announced it was taking its delayed live-action remake of Mulan — which was originally supposed to be released in the spring — and premiering it as a premium purchase exclusively on Disney+, it sent shockwaves through living rooms everywhere. For one thing, this would be the first major 2020 theatrical release to move to a subscription streaming platform (Netflix acquired The Woman in the Window from 20th Century Fox, although its release date is as yet unknown). For another, it might mean that Americans could start getting a taste of the summer movie season that has eluded them.

Disney announced that Mulan would be available to Disney+ subscribers as a premium purchase at the price point of $29.99. That's more than three times the national average movie ticket price, and about six times the cost of an average on-demand movie rental. And of course it's far more expensive than everything else you can watch on Disney+, which if you have a subscription, is all inclusive. The reaction on Twitter and other social media was a mixture of joy that we'd be able to see a major new movie release without having to wait for theaters to be safe again, along side a significant amount of sticker shock and grumbling about Disney trying to gouge its customer base because product is scarce.

Here's why I think the grumbling misses the mark. I am by no means a Disney cheerleader or some kind of shill for their product. (Ask me how far I got into Artemis Fowl before I dozed off, never to return.) But to me, the $30 price tag hits the mark, making it enough of a value to satisfy at-home customers, while remaining just daunting enough that it won't threaten the hopeful return of theatrical distribution.

$30 Breaks Down to a Deal Pretty Easily

The fact that Mulan is a Disney movie is important here, because while single people and childless couples certainly go to see Disney movies, the marketing thrust is still very much geared at families. One of the huge selling points of Disney+ has been that it's a draw for anyone with kids. For a family of four to go see Mulan at the theater in a hypothetical COVID-free environment, that's already about $40 on tickets alone, not counting snacks and parking. For so long, the decline of theatrical attendance was chalked up to how expensive it was for this mythical family of four to afford a night out at the movies. Disney+ just figured out how to plan a night in.

Even for single/childless people, it starts to look affordable real quickly. That $9 ticket price is only an average, after all. In major cities like New York, movies are a lot closer to $15. Popcorn and soda easily nudge that figure north of $25. Split the cost with a roommate, a significant other, or just someone you're sharing your Disney+ account with, and the purchase pays for itself.

It's Guaranteed to Be Better Than Trolls World Tour

Previous to Mulan, the biggest premium VOD gambit was right at the beginning of the shutdown, when Universal put Trolls World Tour on VOD, jacked up the price, and made headlines with how much money it made. If you're one of those people who shelled out big money to watch a bunch of troll dolls do Kidz Bop to pop songs, how in the world do you justify not doing the same for Mulan, which looks genuinely good?

We're in Force Majeure Territory

The thing of it is, you're not paying for just any movie on Disney+. You're paying for the convenience of circumventing the theatrical distribution system because we're in a global crisis. You're paying to not have to risk your health by sitting in an enclosed space with strangers for two hours. You're paying because that's what we do to see first-run movies. The whole idea is that you pay more to see a movie first, ideally in a theater, then you pay less than that to rent it on VOD, then later you pay even less when it shows up on a subscription service. Disney can put Mulan in your living room, but they shouldn't be jumping right to that last step. Not if they want to return to theatrical distribution when this is all over. And if they want to return to theatrical distribution, this moment can't be a jailbreak. It should cost more to see a brand-new Disney movie.

Mulan Will Probably Be Worth It

Even before COVID-19 happened, excitement for Mulan was high, and with good reason. The trailer was stirring. The prospect of bringing an oft-overlooked Disney animated film to life in a way that centers an Asian heroine felt both refreshing and important. And while Disney's recent remakes of classics like The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King have felt perfunctory at best, this Mulan seems like a genuine adaptation/reimagining from a (literally) cartoony musical into a true action-adventure film. You haven't seen a new blockbuster movie in so long, and this one looks like it might be great!.$30 is a night at the bar. (A cheap night at that!) At that price, Mulan might be just as fun.

Mulan will be available for purchase to Disney+ subscribers this Friday, September 4th.

Joe Reid is the senior writer at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. His work has appeared in Decider, NPR, HuffPost, The Atlantic, Slate, Polygon, Vanity Fair, Vulture, The A.V. Club and more.