Disney’s streaming service could be a total game-changer, one that may change the way you feel about your Netflix or Hulu subscription.
That’s because Disney already owns the rights to Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm, and all of the iconic works that fall under those banners. When its $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox closes, Disney will not only being able to open up Fox’s vaults but the company will gain control of Hulu as well, opening unlimited possibilities.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Disney streaming service.
What will be on Disney’s streaming service?
Disney’s streaming service (currently unnamed, but jokingly referred to as “Disneyflix) is, by all accounts, meant to be a platform for viewers to stream Disney-owned properties, like Star Wars and Marvel movies. It will also include a library of Disney films and will launch with Toy Story 4, the Lion Kinglive-action movie, and the sequel to Frozen. It will also house shows from Disney’s television channels, including Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior. So yes, be prepared for your child to have infinite access to Doc McStuffins. Subscribers can expect at least 5,000 episodes of past TV shows.
Like Netflix, Disney is also producing new, original content based on some of its existing franchises. Chief among these is a live-action Star Wars TV series (all the previous ones, like Clone Wars and Rebels, were animated), a new season of Clone Wars, a live-action Marvel show, and shows based on the Monsters Inc. and High School Musical franchises.
The Star Wars show is being written by Jon Favreau, who directed the first Iron Man and the live-action Jungle Book, and will reportedly have a budget of over $100 million for 10 episodes.
It’s unclear if Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which airs on the Disney-owned ABC, will transfer over the streaming platform. As for Netflix/Marvel series like Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders, it’s also unclear where these shows (some of which have entered their second or third season) will end up.
In a New York Times report, two agents and producers speaking on the condition of anonymity said that remakes of Lady and the Tramp and The Sword in the Stone are in the works. Togo, a film about a sled dog, and a Christmas movie featuring Anna Kendrick are also planned.
Other planned features include:
- Three Men and a Baby remake
- The Paper Magician
- Stargirl, based on the YA novel
- A new incarnation of Don Quixote
What won’t be on Disney’s streaming service?
Perhaps the better question to ask is what won’t be on the Disney streaming service.
Due to licensing complications, there are a number of high-profile titles that won’t be on the service at launch. Turner, for example, has the rights to the first six Star Wars movies for the next six years, while Starz still has some Disney (The Princess and the Frog) and Pixar (Wall-E, Up) movies. Netflix, meanwhile, is sitting on Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Strange, Coco, Moana, and Beauty and the Beast, which rank among the best movies on Netflix. That said, Disney is reportedly working to renegotiate those deals, and it’s banking on the appeal of its 2019 blockbusters, which includes Avengers 4 and Captain Marvel.
You also won’t be seeing any R-rated films, like Deadpool, which is owned by the recently acquired Fox. There’s the possibility R-rated films will be edited to fit Disney’s standards, but it’s currently anyone’s guess.
Other Fox properties, like The Simpsons, will stay on Hulu to avoid clashing with Disney’s family-friendly image.
There’s no solid info yet on how much Disney’s streaming service will cost, but Disney CEO Bob Iger suggested to Varietythat the service will likely cost less than Netflix due to its lower amount of content.
There’s also a strong possibility that Disney will offer bundled subscription packages that include some combination of Hulu, Hulu with Live TV, and ESPN+, which launched in April.
When does Disney’s streaming service launch?
Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an interview with Variety that he expects the streaming service to launch near the end of 2019.