Disney will no longer release the Pixar film Luca in U.S. theaters. Instead, the film will stream exclusively on its Disney+ streaming platform worldwide.
Like Soul, which was released in the same manner last Christmas, Luca will be available for free to Disney+ subscribers. Its release date remains the same: June 18.
Why it matters: We’d earlier suggested that a theatrical release for Luca was no guarantee, so while the news isn’t exactly surprising, it’s a huge blow to U.S. movie theaters, which had just reopened in Los Angeles, a market that accounts for nearly 9% of all moviegoing in the country. Without new product, especially animated fare, which has been outperforming all other types of films over the past six months, movie theaters will have an even tougher time getting audiences to return.
