The first Avatar will be available at launch on Disney+. Disney is in the final days of promoting the debut of its highly anticipated streaming service. Disney+ is set to include over 800 titles at launch with just about every Disney film or TV show imaginable being available right away for subscribers. Additionally, the service will offer up exclusive programming like The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars series.
Those who have already signed up for Disney+ will soon have access to titles from Star Wars, Marvel Studios, Pixar, and more, but that is just the beginning of what Disney is planning. Early this year, they officially announced that the $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox was completed. Disney CEO Bob Iger said repeatedly during the process that Fox's rich library of content was a driving factor behind making the deal as they looked to build the library of titles on Disney+. So far, only a few Fox titles were confirmed to be available at launch with Disney+, but they've just confirmed that subscribers will be able to visit Pandora as well.
Disney made the official announcement today that the first Avatar movie will be available on Disney+ when it launches on November 12. This is not only true for U.S. subscribers though, as Avatar will be accessible in Canada and The Netherlands as well. Australia and New Zealand will get the movie on November 19th, and speaking of New Zealand, director James Cameron took part in the announcement video by recording a message from the New Zealand productions on the Avatar sequels.
With Avatar now set to exclusively stream on Disney+, the service has added another premier title to its library. It is now the second highest-grossing movie of all-time, just behind Avengers: Endgame, which will be available on Disney+ later this year. Although the reverence for Avatar has faded since its original release, the movie holds up as a technological and visual marvel as the film's 10th anniversary approaches. Perhaps additional special features will be made available on Disney+ around that time.
Disney bringing Avatar to their streaming service for a day one release is a smart move. It has been 10 years since Avatar hit theaters and became the biggest movie of all-time, but it did not have that big of a cultural impact - beyond the rise of 3D movies. However, the massive productions on the looming Avatar sequels mean this is a franchise Disney needs to make sure audiences will turn out for. They've utilized the immersive world at their theme parks already, but they can now push the original Avatar on Disney+ before they must begin marketing the flurry of sequels.
Source: Disney
