The Disney-Pixar movie Turning Red will not release in theaters on March 11. Instead, Turning Red is now heading exclusively to Disney+ worldwide, a big removal to movie theaters that were looking to play this title.
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution made the official announcement on Friday. The statement of Disney reads, “Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Co. to audiences around the world.”
However, it’s the third Pixar movie to skip theatrical release and go straight to Disney+, after Soul and Luca. Meanwhile, in the international markets where Disney+ isn’t available, Turning Red will be released theatrically, with dates to be announced.
Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, said in a statement, “Disney+ subscribers around the world enthusiastically embraced Pixar’s Academy Award-winning Soul and the critically acclaimed Luca when they premiered exclusively on the service and we look forward to bringing them Pixar’s next incredible feature film Turning Red.”
ALSO READ – Encanto Is Arriving On Disney Plus This Christmas Eve
However, the Disney executive insisted that the studio had to be agile as it continued to release movies during the pandemic. “Given the delayed box office recovery, particularly for family films, flexibility remains at the core of our distribution decisions as we prioritize delivering the unparalleled content of The Walt Disney Co. to audiences around the world,” Daniel added.
Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red follows Mei Lee, voiced by Rosalie Chiang, as a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective and overbearing mother, Ming, voiced by Sandra Oh, is never far from her daughter. And Mei Lee, whenever she gets too excited, manages to ‘poof’ into a giant red panda. Turning Red is directed by Oscar-winner Domee Shi, who helmed the Pixar short film Bao, and is produced by Lindsey Collins.