Frozen 2's Elsa isn't the only one headed into the unknown these days. Thanks to all the uncertainty with the coronavirus, films are shutting down and moving release dates, with people told it's best if they just stay home. So movie and TV studios are trying to maximize this otherwise very expensive and unfortunate situation for their benefit. On that note, Disney moved up the Disney+ streaming date for Frozen 2 by a full three months to this Sunday. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is also on digital right now in an early release, although only by a few days.
Disney announced that Frozen 2 will be available in the U.S. starting tomorrow -- Sunday, March 15. The movie will be available on Disney+ in Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand on Tuesday, March 17. In the U.S., the film will initially be available in high definition, with Ultra HD video playback available on Tuesday, March 17.
Disney's new boss, Bob Chapek, got to announce the good news:
Frozen 2 has captivated audiences around the world through its powerful themes of perseverance and the importance of family, messages that are incredibly relevant during this time, and we are pleased to be able to share this heartwarming story early with our Disney+ subscribers to enjoy at home on any device.
It's a win-win, giving families something new and fun to watch at home instead of taking the kids to a new movie or playground, and it gives Disney more Disney+ users -- a group I have not belonged to since The Mandalorian Season 1 finale.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the complete 9-film Skywalker Saga were already coming to digital this Tuesday, March 17, so it was smart of Disney/Lucasfilm to move up the digital release by a few days to maximize chill time over the weekend. Honestly, I don't understand why digital and DVD/Blu-ray releases aren't timed for weekends anyway. Frozen 2 is already on digital/DVD. The Rise of Skywalker's Blu-ray/DVD release date is apparently still scheduled for March 31.
If Frozen 2 is arriving three months early, then it was originally planned to come to Disney+ in June. That tracks with what we were told about Disney+ generally getting titles about seven months after their release in theaters. So, unless Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes to Disney+ early, it may still be on track for a summer release to the streamer.
Disney shut down its theme parks and paused production on movies like the live-action Little Mermaid and Marvel's Shang-Chi movie, and it moved the release date for Mulan. What about Black Widow, though? That's still a question. So many movies and TV shows are pausing production and moving release dates, everything is in flux.
