With the announcement of Disney Plus, the Mouse House is planning to enter the market of streaming services soon this year. While it may be quite late to the party, Disney is preparing itself to put up a good fight. The streaming services landscape as we know it is soon going to change and competitors like Netflix & Amazon Prime are leaving no stones unturned to stop Disney Plus. But even at this point, it seems nothing but inevitable.
Disney Plus will be the online home of a library of more than 5,000 hours of the studio’s films and TV programs, as Disney plans to bring its entire library. This includes popular Disney classics like The Jungle Book, The Lion King and all-time hits like the tales of Disney princesses like Cinderella and Snow White. These movies can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike. There’s also Marvel’s mightiest superheroes with movies from the MCU, along with animated series like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s Avengers Assemble and more. It will also bring along with it countless movies that have been nominated for Academy Awards over the last 90 years.
The Mandalorian
With the acquisition of Lucas films in 2012 and purchase of Fox, Disney has further bolstered its library. With all this trove of classic material available for the entire family with just a single subscription, it will probably be quite a good deal for the end-consumer. But old movies and TV shows are not all that Disney is going to offer. The service will be the exclusive streaming home of upcoming theatrical releases like Avengers: Endgame and the Aladdin remake. Disney is also using the service to continue to build out its various expanded universes, not only with the two Star Wars series but in multiple limited series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU series’ will focus on Loki and Scarlet Witch, with a Falcon & Winter Soldier team-up series also currently under development.
Several original films have also been planned along with remakes of the Disney classics. The company hopes this trove of classic material will make it a must-have for families with young kids. Some key Disney Plus projects which are currently in development are:
- The Mandalorian: The first scripted live-action “Star Wars” series. Written and produced by Jon Favreau, the cast includes Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito. This project is already in production.
- Monsters, Inc. Series: Based on the Pixar animated film of the same name, the series is currently in development targeting the younger members of the audience.
- Stand-alone Loki Series: Yes, Tom Hiddlestone’s much beloved Loki is getting his own TV series. Not much is known at the moment, but it seems like the show migh revive Loki from the dead, again.
- Vision and Scarlet Witch: The upcoming TV series will have Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprise their respective roles from the MCU.
Disney Plus Falcon/Winter Soldier Show
- Winter Soldier/Falcon Team Up Series: Reports suggest that Malcolm Spellman has been tapped to write a series featuring the 2 superheroes. Unlike other Marvel shows like Daredevil or The Punisher, the series on the Disney streaming service will be produced by Marvel.
- High Fidelity: Female-led take on Nick Hornby’s novel and the Disney-produced film from 2000. This production is supposed to go into production in early 2020.
- High School Musical: The series will be a reimagining of the beloved Disney Channel movie franchise. Joshua Bassett has been cast in the lead role. It is set for production this year.
- Untitled Rogue One Prequel: The adventures of Rebel spy Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) during the formative years of the Rebellion. This project isn’t confirmed at the moment, but it does show us how Disney is planning to expand the Star Wars Universe.
- Diary of a Female President: Created by Ilana Peña, the show is about an ambitious and precocious 12 year-old, told from the point of view of her diary “as she navigates the ups and downs of middle school and her journey to becoming the future president of the United States.”
High School Musical | Disney Plus
The shows are also expected to have large budgets compared to other television projects. In any case, it is clear that Disney is not pulling any punches. All of these shows have incredible potential, and if the company makes the right moves, it just might win the streaming wars.
