Pixar's latest animated movie Turning Red is skipping theaters and will be streaming on Disney+ for free. Turning Red follows a young girl named Mei who finds herself turning into a giant red panda every time she experiences heightened emotions. Grey's Anatomy's Sandra Oh will voice Mei's mother Ming, while Mei herself will be voiced by Rosalie Chiang. Turning Red is directed by Domee Shi, an animator who recently directed acclaimed Pixar animated short Bao.
Turning Red will follow the release pattern of several other Pixar films since the pandemic began. In early 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, Pixar's Onward, which had already been released in theaters, hit Disney+ just weeks after its debut. Since then, Pixar's two other releases have also hit Disney+ at no additional charge. Soul was released on December 25, 2020 on the streaming platform, while Luca hit the streamer last summer. Turning Red was supposed to be Pixar's grand return to theaters, but that is no longer in the cards.
Today, Disney announced that Turning Red will skip a theatrical release and go straight to streaming. The film will hit Disney+ on March 11, the same day it was supposed to hit theaters. According to the studio, Turning Red will not be taking advantage of the streamer's Premier Access platform and will be available for free to all subscribers.
Disney has come under fire from those at Pixar for choosing to release their films on Disney+ and for the fact that, when they do so, they don't even utilize the Premier Access platform. Disney has released movies like Mulan, Jungle Cruise, and Black Widow via the Premier Access platform, charging subscribers an additional $30 to view the movies. Why they choose not to do so with their Pixar films remains unclear, but Pixar employees have made it clear that it sends a message that makes them feel undervalued despite the fact that Pixar is one of the most lucrative branches of the Disney brand.
The choice to do so with Turning Red is likely to ignite the same ire even if it's clear why Disney has made the decision. The rising uncertainty around the Omicron COVID variant has once again upended the industry, with premieres being pushed back, productions being shut down, and movies like Morbius being delayed once again. What this means for Disney's other major releases (like their MCU slate or the other Pixar movie on the docket, Lightyear) is unknown, but Turning Red going to Disney+ is an awfully familiar sight for the industry as delays and moves to streaming begin again.
Source: Disney
