'The Mandalorian' to premiere on Disney+ on Oct. 30

Since the production team behind The Mandalorian was able to work remotely, the Star Wars show can keep to its schedule. Disney announced on Twitter that its second season will premiere on October 30. It'll resume the weekly release schedule of the first season. There's no trailer for now, but we're hoping to get a teaser soon. The Mandalorian will be the first big show the streaming service will debut in months. Marvel Studios' The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was supposed to debut over the summer, but COVID-19 delayed the production.

Source: The Verge

Disney+ tries out new VOD model for 'Mulan'

Disney

Disney is using the perceived popularity of its upcoming live-action remake of Mulan to try a new strategy for Disney+. The company has thrown in the towel of attempting to secure a theatrical release of the film in the US. What the company plans to do now is offer the movie there and anywhere else Disney+ is available, starting on September 4. The caveat is that Disney will be asking viewers to shell out an additional US$29.99 (around CA$40) to watch the film.

It will still show the movie in theatres in markets where theatres are open. But for those where it isn't safe to open cinemas yet, this is supposedly a one-off approach to bring the blockbuster to viewers. It will also be useful to attract subscribers to its streaming service, which can help Disney earn back what it spent to make the film. And if all goes well, we wouldn't be surprised if Disney tries this model with other big movies, too.

Source: IndieWire

Disney+ no longer offers free trial period

Disney+ is rescinding its free seven-day trial, which it has offered since the streaming service launched in November 2019. It's standard practice for streaming services to offer free trials, but Disney believes its offerings are enough to ask subscribers to pay from the get-go. A Disney spokeswoman told CNET, "The service was set at an attractive price-to-value proposition that we believe delivers a compelling entertainment offering on its own."

This development happens as Disney+ is set to debut the Broadway recording of the hit musical, Hamilton. Perhaps it hopes to draw in new paying subscribers with this move. CNET noted that the company stopped advertising its free trial weeks ago, but the change took place this week. Disney+ costs $8.99 per month or $89.99 per year in Canada.

Disney+ to release 'The Simpsons' in original 4:3 format on May 28

The day has finally come. Disney seems to have hit its target to release The Simpsons in its original 4:3 aspect ratio before May ends. According to tweets from showrunner Al Jean, the new/old format will be available on Disney+ starting May 28. Disney drew flak for releasing all The Simpsons seasons in 16:9 HD format, which resulted in having cut out some key details and even jokes from some of the earlier seasons. The Simpsons only switched to this format sometime in Season 20. But now, all episodes that aired in 4:3 will be available in that format.

MobileSyrup reports that Disney also plans to release The Simpsons short "The Longest Daycare" on Disney+ on May 29. It is a Maggie Simpson-centric short that was shown in theatres before the screenings of 20th Century Fox's Ice Age: Continental Drift.