Disney has announced today that Turning Red, the next movie from Pixar, will now premiere exclusively on Disney+ on Friday, March 11. This makes the animated film the third release from the studio to head straight to streaming; Soul was the first in the midst of the pandemic, while Luca followed last year.
Both movies received positive reviews from critics, but neither appeared to be particularly safe bets at the box office (unlike this June's Lightyear, for example). At the time, it was reported that there was a lot of unhappiness among Pixar staff that their movies were essentially being given away for "free" on Disney+, and you have to believe those bad feelings will only worsen after this.
Disney Animation's Raya and the Last Dragon was made available through the Premier Access service for $29.99, while Encanto debuted on the big screen. As of now, there's no word on why Turning Red is skipping theaters. Common sense suggests this one just wasn't tracking to be a box office hit.
"Disney+ subscribers around the world enthusiastically embraced Pixar’s Academy Award-winning 'Soul' and the critically-acclaimed 'Luca' when they premiered exclusively on the service and we look forward to bringing them Pixar’s next incredible feature film 'Turning Red,'" said Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution.
"Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Company to audiences around the world."
In international markets where Disney+ is not yet available (there aren't that many of them), the film will be released theatrically, with premiere dates to be announced.
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