The shadowy mouse empire is moving, and it’s coming for your bank account.
Yep, Disney is set to launch its very own streaming service in 2019...and from what we can tell, it’ll be cheaper than Netflix.
Until now, most of the details have been super hush hush. But an interview with Disney chairman-CEO Bob Iger in Variety spilled a couple of cartoon beans. Including a name: Disney Play.
Obviously what you’ll find on Disney Play is Disney stuff, which means you won’t get the infinite scroll-fest of Netflix. (But really, after about 20 seconds it’s all obscure Bollywood films anyway, right?)
The plus side, a “lighter content load” (to use Iger’s words) means potentially a cheaper service.
To compensate for quantity, Disney’s going big on quality. They’re gonna have a bunch of Marvel titles, the new Star Wars movies (including a brand new live-action Star Wars series, directed by John Favreau), everything Pixar and all your favourite childhood cartoons (because Disney knows how lucrative nostalgia can be).
The only things Netflix are keeping are the Marvel/Netflix originals like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, The Defenders and Luke Cage.
Perhaps the biggest news is that Disney plans to use Disney Play to host some of its hottest 2019 releases: Captain Marvel, Toy Story 4 (just let it go, Pixar...), Frozen 2, Star Wars: Episode IX and live-action pillaging of Dumbo and The Lion King.
We don’t have a launch date for Disney Play yet, but Iger told Variety that it’d be some time in Fall 2019.
We’re counting down the days.
Image credit: The Verge