View text source at Wikipedia

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Walt Disney Company

Part of a series on the
COVID-19 pandemic
Scientifically accurate atomic model of the external structure of SARS-CoV-2. Each "ball" is an atom.
Scientifically accurate atomic model of the external structure of SARS-CoV-2. Each "ball" is an atom.
Timeline
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Locations
By country and territory
By conveyance
International response
National responses
Medical response
Vaccines
Current vaccines
Variants
Variants of concern
Other variants
Economic impact and recession
By country
By sport
Impacts
Long COVID
Society
Politics
virus icon COVID-19 portal

The Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries have been variously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; the company has business interests in areas that involve mass gatherings (including its theme parks and film releases) and isolation (including its streaming service and U.S. television brands).

Leadership and business

[edit]

In March 2020, Disney's executive chairman Bob Iger announced that he would not take any salary during the pandemic; in 2019 he earned $47.5 million. Chief executive Bob Chapek announced that he will take a 50% pay cut.[1]

The president of Walt Disney World, Josh D'Amaro, was included on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's board for re-opening the state and reinvigorating its economy, while Disney Parks' VP Thomas Mazloum is on the task force for Orange County, Florida's economic recovery.[2]

The stock of the company fell 28% on April 20, 2020.[3]

Theme parks

[edit]
See also: Disney Experiences and Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism
A sign posted at the entrance to Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom shortly before the extended closure of the Walt Disney World Resort

Two of the company's theme parks, Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland, closed on January 25, 2020.[4][5] On February 28, the Tokyo Disney Resort closed.[6]

On March 12, the company announced that Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, and Disneyland Paris would be closed beginning March 15 through at least the end of the month, marking the first time that all six Disney resorts worldwide were closed.[7] Two days later, Disney announced the temporary suspension of its internship programs, including the Disney College Program and International Programs,[8] which was later extended until the end of 2020.[9] Due to the closure of Walt Disney World, the British variety show Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway canceled a finale taping that had been set to film at the resort in April.[10] On March 27, the closure of both U.S. resorts were extended indefinitely. Cast members were to be paid through the week of April 18, 2020.[11]

Iger suggested that when parks reopen, temperature checks on visitors will become routine.[1]

Walt Disney World employs 75,000 total workers, the biggest single-site employer in the United States.[12] From the week beginning April 20, 2020, over 100,000 staff at Disney theme parks and hotels were put on indefinite unpaid leave, to save the company $500 million. The move was taken due to the extended period of closures for these destinations, which earn over $1 billion per quarter.[1] Disney had arranged with the Florida unemployment program for its 26,000 UNITE HERE union workers in the state to be automatically enrolled, preventing them from needing to apply on the system that is said to regularly fail – though the state's benefits have been criticized for only paying out $275 a week for 12 weeks.[12]

Shanghai Disneyland was the first park to reopen on May 11, 2020, with new safety protocols. Park capacity was limited to 30%, social distancing measures were instituted, and temperature checks and face masks were required for entrance.[13] On May 20, following the easing of some restrictions in Florida for retail and dining establishments, third party retailers at Disney Springs were allowed to reopen. Disney-owned stores in the shopping district reopened on May 27.[14] On May 27, the Orange County Recovery Task Force in Orlando approved Disney's phased approach to opening the Walt Disney World Resort, with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom slated to reopen on July 11, followed by the reopening of Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios on July 15.[15]

On June 10, 2020, the Disneyland Resort in California announced its intentions for reopening. Pending local government approval, the resort intended to open the Downtown Disney shopping district on July 9. The reopening of the Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure was set to follow shortly after on July 17, 2020, sixty-five years to the day the original park opened.[16] However, the reopening of Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and Disney owned resort hotels were postponed indefinitely due to the continuation of the pandemic.[17]

On June 1, the Tokyo Disneyland Resort shopping district, Ikspiari, reopened to the public. The Parks reopened on July 1.[18]

Disneyland Paris reopened on July 15, 2020,[19] but closed in late October when France started a second lockdown.[20]

On September 29, 2020, the New York Times reported that Disney was laying off 28,000 people in the United States, due to the impact of the pandemic on its parks, resorts, cruise line, and retail store business. According to Josh D'Amaro, the chairman of Disney's parks, 67% of the employees reported to be laid off were part-time workers who were paid by the hour.[21]

On November 9, 2020, the Disneyland Resort announced additional furloughs for executive, salaried and hourly cast members. No reopening date for the California parks was known.[22]

On January 11, 2021, Orange County officials announced that Disneyland was set to become a massive COVID-19 vaccination site.[23]

On February 8, 2021, outdoor dining reopened in Downtown Disney.[24] From March 18 through April 19, 2021, Disneyland and Disney California hosted a limited-capacity ticketed event called “A Touch of Disney”, which offered guests to shop at stores and enjoy eateries around the parks.[25][26] On March 5, 2021, it was announced that Disneyland and Disney California Adventure could reopen with capacity restrictions beginning on April 1, 2021.[27][28] Four days later, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced at a shareholder's meeting that the company was planning on officially reopening the parks in late April 2021.[29] On March 17, 2021, it was then announced by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products that both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure would officially reopen on April 30, 2021.[30]

On May 3, 2021, the return of the Disney College Program in Orlando was announced for June 2021 with priority given for 2020 applicants to reapply.[31][32] Though no immediate announcement was made for the program in Anaheim, the Culinary Program, Professional Internships or the International Programs,[33] in July 2021, the Culinary Program was confirmed to return to Orlando for the August 2021 semester.[34][35][36]

Disneyland Paris reopened on June 17, 2021, marking the first day in 17 months that all Disney parks worldwide were open.[37]

The Disney International Programs returned to Orlando with the Cultural Representative Program in August 2022, as announced by Disney Programs on March 25, 2022.[38][39]

Cruises

[edit]

On March 12, 2020, Disney Cruise Line made the decision to stop sailing.[40] It suspended all ships on March 14, when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered cruises to stop sailing for 30 days. On April 6, Disney Cruise Line extended its shutdown and announced it would not launch ships until April 28, and would not travel to Canada until July 1, in line with Canadian cruise ship restrictions. As compensation to passengers, Disney is offering full refunds or to re-book a cruise for within 15 months of the original departure.[41] Per CDC direction, the cruise line on June 8, 2020, its restart dates canceled additional trips with Dream class ships sailings through July 27 while the Magic and Wonder sailings through October 2 and September 14, 2020, respectively.[42]

Cinema and television

[edit]
Main articles: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television, and Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States

Walt Disney Studios and Television

[edit]

On March 19, Walt Disney Studios announced that they would no longer report box office figures.[43]

As films began to cancel wide releases at the start of 2020, Disney's Mulan, which was set to premiere on March 27, but was postponed in China and Italy.[44][45] Particularly for Disney, Mulan not opening in China, where it aimed to make most of its money, was concerning,[46] especially with the possibility of pirated copies appearing, discouraging Chinese patronage in cinemas on release.[47] Mulan's London premiere on March 12 went ahead without a red carpet,[48] but on March 13 it was announced that the film was removed from the release calendar; on this day, Disney also postponed the releases of Antlers and The New Mutants.[49] Also on March 13, Walt Disney Television announced that production was suspended on many of its series.[50] The Disney Family Singalong, an ABC special on April 16, which featured karaoke performances of songs from Disney works with celebrity guests, was created during the lockdowns in the US.[51]

Delayed productions

[edit]

Delayed releases

[edit]

Pixar

[edit]

The 2020 opening March weekend's biggest film was Disney/Pixar's Onward, making around US$39 million. This was dramatically lower than the year before, when Disney/Marvel film Captain Marvel earned over US$153 million.[79][80] For its second weekend, during the worst box office period the US had seen in decades, Onward saw the biggest weekend-to-weekend drop of any Pixar film, making $10.5 million, though was still the weekend's biggest film and the only one to make over $10 million.[81] It did not open in the areas most affected by the pandemic; while cinemas were closed in China, it also chose not to open in South Korea, Italy or Japan,[82] and was ultimately made available to purchase digitally on March 21. It was then added to Disney+ on April 3.[83]

Pixar delayed its next release, Soul, from June 19, 2020, to November 20, 2020,[72] before cancelling its theatrical showing and instead giving the film a Christmas 2020 release on Disney+.[84] The 2021 film Luca also was released direct-to-streaming on Disney+ on June 18, 2021, along with a simultaneous limited run at the El Capitan Theatre;[85] it was released in theaters in countries without the streaming service.[67] Turning Red was released to Disney+ on March 11, 2022, along with one-week limited engagements at the El Capitan Theatre, AMC Empire 25, and Grand Lake Theatre, amid the surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant.[86][87][88][89]

Disney+

[edit]

The Disney+ European launch press event was postponed.[90] With the lockdowns during the pandemic, it was noted that the popularity of streaming services, including Disney+, would increase.[45][91] Disney saw fit that the service should go live in India on March 11, eighteen days before it the initial release date was expected to.[92] It also added the film Frozen II to the streaming service earlier than first expected, on March 15 instead of June 26,[93][94] and sent its movie adaptation Artemis Fowl directly onto Disney+ on June 12, rather than releasing it in theatres.[95][96] A recording of the broadway musical Hamilton also was shifted from a theatrical release to the service, despite the company paying $75 million for the rights to release it in theatres in 2021.[97][98] The One and Only Ivan was also added directly to Disney+ on August 21, rather than its planned theatrical release.[99] Mulan, after being delayed several times, had its U.S. along with multiple international releases in cinemas cancelled and instead premiered on Disney+ on September 4, 2020.[100]

Disney+ had achieved over 50 million subscribers in its first five months online (to April 2020).[1] By November 2020, it had more than 73 million subscribers.[101]

Marvel Cinematic Universe

[edit]
See also: Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Four and Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Five
Director Destin Daniel Cretton's self-isolation stopped production of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was first hit on March 12; the Marvel Studios film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which was shooting in Australia, suspended production due to director Destin Daniel Cretton self-isolating due to suspected coronavirus, though he later tested negative.[102][103] The next day, despite several Disney films having their releases postponed in a company announcement. The first film of Phase Four – Black Widow, which was set to premiere on May 1, was initially not one of these.[49] This omission was speculated to be because the other films are standalone, while moving Black Widow would affect the development and distribution of the future Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Marvel Disney+ works, with Disney holding off on an early postponement announcement; Black Widow was finally postponed on March 17, when Disney also postponed its other May releases.[70][104] It had earlier been speculated that Black Widow would be able to take Marvel's November release date planned for Eternals, as Marvel had 'claimed' many future dates for blockbuster releases, which could save the film's prospects where smaller company releases may not.[44] The replacement was later confirmed, with a domino effect causing each future Marvel film to be sequentially replaced.[61] This also bumped Shang-Chi, with Marvel's first Asian hero, out of its Chinese New Year release date: it was due to be released in February 2021 but was displaced by the sequel of 2016 film Doctor Strange. However, given the film's early production shut-down, it may have missed its planned release date, anyway.[105][106][107] Due to release delays and continuous coronavirus cases in the United States, Disney announced both Black Widow and Eternals pushed to a year from their original schedule, with Shang-Chi pushed to a fall 2021 release. 2020 was the first year since 2009 that did not release a MCU film.[67][108]

The Marvel Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier suspended production in Prague, the Czech Republic, where the series was set to film for a week. The series resumed production in Atlanta before global production was halted.[109] Because of the pandemic, the series premiere was pushed back from 2020 to 2021.[110]

Impacted productions

[edit]
Films
[edit]
Television series
[edit]

Lucasfilm

[edit]

On May 11, 2020, Lucasfilm released a video featuring Mark Hamill thanking Star Wars fans from all over the world, who worked as medical and healthcare workers, for their efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 in their countries.[115]

On June 15, 2020, it was announced that the Star Wars convention "Celebration Anaheim 2020" had been canceled due to the pandemic, with the next event scheduled for August 18–21, 2022 at the Anaheim Convention Center.[116][117]

On July 23, 2020, it was reported that the next three Star Wars films have been delayed by a year each to December 2023, December 2025, and December 2027 respectively as a result of the pandemic.[118][119]

Blue Sky Studios

[edit]

On February 9, 2021, Disney announced that it would be closing the animation studio Blue Sky Studios, which it had acquired through its acquisition of 21st Century Fox on March 20, 2019. A studio spokesperson had stated that it was no longer sustainable for Disney to run a third feature animation studio due to the economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the film industry. The closure of Blue Sky Studios affected 450 employees, with Disney stating that it would help them find work at its internal studios. As a result, production of a film adaptation of the webcomic Nimona,[120] originally scheduled to be released on January 14, 2022, was initially cancelled as a result of its closure although the film was revived at Netflix in April 2022.[121] Disney also acquired Blue Sky's film library and intellectual properties.[122][123] The studio officially closed in April 2021.[124][125]

Stage

[edit]

All West End and Broadway Disney Theatrical Productions were closed, as Broadway and West End shut down in March 2020.[126][127] On May 14, 2020, it was announced that the Broadway musical Frozen would not reopen after the lockdown was lifted. The show performed its final performance on March 11, the day before all Broadway theatres closed. The US national tour would open when tenable. The international productions, West End, Australia, Japan, and Germany, have been pushed back to 2021.[128]

The two-year Broadway run cost about $35 million to mount, attracted attendance over 1.3 million and gross over $150 million. While not the box office performer as Hamilton or its stablemates The Lion King and Aladdin, the musical had mostly favorable reviews and a solid box office by grossing in the 80%-90% of box office potential. The 2019 holiday year end week gross about $2.2 million and April 2020 hit 98% of potential. Thus Frozen was chosen to close given the future lower attendance at theatres.[129]

As Broadway and the West End reopened in 2021, Disney was able to open or re-open productions. The Lion King re-opened on Broadway on September 14 of that year,[130][131][132] and on the West End on July 29.[133] As intended, the West End production of Frozen began previews on August 27, and held its opening night on September 8 [134][135] The Broadway production of Aladdin re-opened on September 28.[136]

Comic books

[edit]

On March 23, 2020, preeminent North American direct market comic book industry wholesaler Diamond Comics Distribution announced that they would not ship comic books scheduled for release on April 1 or afterwards as many of the comic shops they service were forced to close or move to curbside pickup and/or delivery.[137] Eight days later, Marvel Comics announced it would cease publishing single comic book issues in digital and print format starting the following day.[138] On April 28, Diamond announced it would resume distribution of single issue comics to retailers, with in-store availability scheduled for May 20. Marvel Comics issues were accordingly rescheduled for publication starting that day, ending a 7-week period of delays.[139] As of May 2021, several Marvel series originally scheduled for release prior to the pandemic have not been rescheduled.[140] IDW Publishing, which published licensed Disney comics in North America during the period and is the current publisher of licensed all-ages Marvel and Star Wars comics, also had their single-issue publications suspended by Diamond's shutdown.[141]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Disney stops paying 100,000 workers during downturn". BBC News. April 20, 2020. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "Disney, Universal Execs Join Governor's Reopen Florida Task Force". www.mynews13.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  3. ^ Shapiro, Ariel. "Disney Parks May Not See A Full Recovery Until Coronavirus Vaccine, Shares Drop 3% On Wall Street Downgrades". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  4. ^ "New virus mutes Lunar New Year celebrations worldwide". AP NEWS. January 25, 2020. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  5. ^ "Shanghai Disney shuts to prevent spread of virus". CNBC. January 24, 2020. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  6. ^ "Tokyo Disneyland to close through mid-March on coronavirus concerns". CNBC. February 28, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  7. ^ Low, Elaine (March 27, 2020). "Disneyland and Walt Disney World Now Indefinitely Closed Amid Coronavirus Outbreak". Variety. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Carter, Ashley. "Disney College Program to be Suspended, Participants Sent Home". www.mynews13.com. News 13. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  9. ^ Tuttle, Brittani (July 2, 2020). "Disney College Program suspended until further notice at Disneyland, Walt Disney World". Attractions Magazine. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  10. ^ Percival, Ash (March 14, 2020). "Ant And Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Disney World Finale Cancelled Due To Coronavirus". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  11. ^ Wisel, Carlye (March 12, 2020). "Disney World and Disneyland closed indefinitely amid Covid-19 fears". Vox. Vox Media. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Disney furloughs 100,000 theme park and hotel workers amid coronavirus shutdown". NBC News. April 20, 2020. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  13. ^ Culver, David; Marcus, Lilit (May 11, 2020). "Shanghai Disneyland reopens with timed entry and social distancing". CNN. CNN. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  14. ^ Haring, Bruce (May 17, 2020). "Disney Springs Retail-Dining-Entertainment Center Sets Reopening Protocols For Coming Week Return". Deadline. Deadline. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  15. ^ Barnes, Brooks (May 27, 2020). "Disney World Is Reopening, but You Won't Be Able to Hug Mickey". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  16. ^ "Disneyland, Disney California Adventure Set To Reopen July 17 With Reservation System". KCBS-TV. KCBS-TV. June 10, 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  17. ^ "Disneyland reopening is delayed beyond July 17". Los Angeles Times. June 25, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  18. ^ "Tokyo Disney parks to reopen from July 1". June 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "Disneyland Paris to reopen on July 15". Daily Mirror. June 22, 2020.
  20. ^ Hanna Ziady and Chris Liakos (October 29, 2020). "Disneyland Paris shuts down again as France enters lockdown". CNN. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  21. ^ Barnes, Brooks (September 29, 2020). "Disney Lays Off 28,000, Mostly at Its 2 U.S. Theme Parks". New York Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  22. ^ "Disneyland To Furlough Additional Staff And Execs As Shutdown Continues". Deadline. November 10, 2020. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  23. ^ "California's Disneyland to become Covid vaccination site". BBC News. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  24. ^ Saunders, Mark (February 8, 2021). "Downtown Disney reopens California Adventure outdoor dining". KGTV. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  25. ^ Tapp, Tom (February 24, 2021). "Disneyland Officials Release Details About Mini Reopening In March Called A Touch Of Disney". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  26. ^ Elaine Low (March 10, 2021). "Disneyland and Other Theme Parks Prepare to Reopen — and Bring Back Thousands of Workers Amid Pandemic". Variety. Retrieved March 17, 2021. Duarte says about 400 to 500 of Local 50's members are headed back to work for a Touch of Disney, which currently runs from March 18 through April 19 but will release more tickets on a rolling basis.
  27. ^ "California to allow theme parks like Disneyland, live shows to resume at reduced capacity on April 1". ABC7. March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  28. ^ Tapp, Tom (March 5, 2021). "California To Allow Reopening Of Disneyland, Other Theme Parks, Outdoor Sports Stadiums". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  29. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (March 5, 2021). "Disneyland To Open In Late April, Disney CEO Bob Chapek Says". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  30. ^ Ramirez, Michael (March 17, 2021). "Magic is Back at Disneyland Resort! Theme Parks Plan to Reopen on April 30". Disney Parks Blog. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  31. ^ "The Disney College Program is coming back!". DisneyPrograms.com. May 3, 2021. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  32. ^ @DisneyInterns (May 3, 2021). "The #DisneyCollegeProgram is returning, and our 2020 participants will be the first to be invited to reapply. We also have a brand-new look!" (Tweet). Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via Twitter.
  33. ^ Tuttle, Brittani (May 3, 2021). "Disney College Program returning to Walt Disney World this June". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  34. ^ "Disney Culinary Program at Walt Disney World Now Accepting Applications for Summer 2021 and Beyond". Laughing Place. July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  35. ^ Burks, Robin (July 18, 2021). "Another Disney World Program Is Returning!". Disney Food Blog. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  36. ^ @DisneyInterns (July 16, 2021). "We are excited to tell you that the #DisneyCulinaryProgram is returning! Applications are now open for this program where you'll master your skills as you learn alongside culinary leaders. Apply today!" (Tweet). Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Twitter.
  37. ^ D'Amaro, Josh (June 17, 2021). "A World Full of Magic, a Future Full of Possibilities". Disney Parks Blog. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
  38. ^ "The Disney Cultural Representative Program Returns this August". Disney Programs. March 25, 2022. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  39. ^ duBois, Megan (March 25, 2022). "Disney's Cultural Representative Program Will Return This August At Walt Disney World". Forbes. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  40. ^ Luscombe, Richard (March 16, 2020). "End of the cruise? Industry struggles through rough waters of coronavirus crisis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  41. ^ Tate, Curtis. "Disney extends coronavirus cruise cancellations through April 28". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  42. ^ "Disney Cruise Line suspends additional sailings, some through fall". WKMG. June 8, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  43. ^ "Hollywood movie studios suspend release of box office data after coronavirus slump". Reuters. March 20, 2020. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  44. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 5, 2020). "Coronavirus Concern At The B.O.: After 'No Time To Die' Move, Could 'Black Widow' & 'F9' Be Next?". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  45. ^ a b Shoard, Catherine (March 6, 2020). "Cinema bullish in the face of coronavirus despite projected $5bn loss". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  46. ^ Clark, Travis. "5 movies that have been drastically impacted by the coronavirus, from 'Mulan' to 'No Time to Die'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  47. ^ Whitten, Sarah (March 11, 2020). "More than a third of US adults say movie theaters should close amid coronavirus outbreak". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  48. ^ "Fast and Furious 9 put back by 11 months". BBC News. March 12, 2020. Archived from the original on March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  49. ^ a b Shoard, Catherine (March 13, 2020). "Disney delays release of Mulan, The New Mutants and Antlers as Black Widow speculation grows". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  50. ^ a b c d e f g Andreeva, Nellie (March 15, 2020). "'Empire', 'Pose', 'Queen Of the South', 'The Resident' & 'American Housewife' Shut Down Over Coronavirus". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  51. ^ White, Peter (April 10, 2020). "'The Disney Family Singalong': ABC Sets Musical TV Special With Celebrity Crooners". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  52. ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 12, 2020). "Coronavirus: TV Shows That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 2, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  53. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 13, 2020). "Coronavirus: Disney TV Studios Shuts Down Production On 'Genius: Aretha', Postpones Filming On All Pilots". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 3, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  54. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (March 14, 2020). "'The Goldbergs' & 'Schooled' Join 'Blacklist', 'Wheel Of Time', 'Mel Robbins' In Sony TV Production Halts: Update". Deadline. Deadline. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  55. ^ a b c d Kroll, Justin (March 13, 2020). "Disney Halts Production on Most Live-Action Films Including 'The Last Duel'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  56. ^ "Gad Says We're "Getting Closer" to Live-Action 'Hunchback of Notre Dame'". Inside the Magic. January 24, 2021.
  57. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron. "Disney Suspends Film Production Amid Coronavirus Concerns". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  58. ^ Geek Vibes Nation [@Geekvibesnation] (February 26, 2020). "Marc Webb's 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Now Looks To Begin Filming This July in Vancouver and Los Angeles. Yesterday we reported the filming was delayed from March to Summer. #SnowWhite #Disney" (Tweet). Retrieved August 14, 2020 – via Twitter.
  59. ^ "Disney's Snow White to film in the UK". www.kftv.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  60. ^ a b c d Galuppo, Mia (March 12, 2020). "'Mulan' Release Pushed Back Amid Coronavirus Pandemic". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  61. ^ a b c d e f g "'Black Widow,' 'Mulan' Land New 2020 Release Dates, 'Jungle Cruise' Delayed a Year". The Hollywood Reporter. April 3, 2020. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  62. ^ Erbland, Kate (June 26, 2020). "Disney Postpones 'Mulan' Theatrical Opening Again to August 21". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  63. ^ McClintock, Pamela; Couch, Aaron (July 23, 2020). "Disney Unschedules 'Mulan,' Pushes Back 'Avatar' and 'Star Wars' Films a Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  64. ^ a b Whitten, Sarah (July 23, 2020). "Disney delays 'Mulan' indefinitely, Star Wars and Avatar movies pushed back a year". CNBC. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  65. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 4, 2020). "'Mulan' Going On Disney+ & Theaters In September; CEO Bob Chepak Says Decision Is A "One-Off", Not New Windows Model". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  66. ^ Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (September 10, 2021). "Bob's Burgers movie: The Belchers are cooking up a Memorial Day release date". CNET. Archived from the original on September 15, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  67. ^ a b c d e f g h D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 23, 2021). "Disney Shifts 'Black Widow' & 'Cruella' To Day & Date Release In Theaters And Disney+, Jarring Summer Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  68. ^ Schwartz, Terri (January 11, 2020). "No, The New Mutants Isn't an MCU Movie". IGN. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  69. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 13, 2020). "Disney Reschedules 'The New Mutants' & 'Ron's Gone Wrong'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  70. ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (March 17, 2020). "'Black Widow' Release Pulled Amid Coronavirus Pandemic". Variety. Archived from the original on March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  71. ^ "Bob's Burgers Movie, The King's Man Get Disney Film Delays". IGN. January 22, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  72. ^ a b Fuster, Jeremy (April 13, 2020). "Disney Moves 'Soul,' 'Raya and the Last Dragon' Release Dates". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  73. ^ a b "'Black Widow,' 'West Side Story,' 'Eternals' Postpone Release Dates". Variety. September 23, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  74. ^ McClintock, Pamela (November 5, 2020). "'Free Guy,' 'Death on the Nile' Sail Out of 2020 Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Crisis". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  75. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 26, 2020). "'Unhinged' Going July 31 In Wake Of 'Tenet' Summer Shift". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  76. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (July 23, 2020). "'Star Wars' Films, 'Avatar' Sequels Pushed Back a Year in Disney Release Calendar Shakeup". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  77. ^ Meyer, Dan (December 16, 2020). "Everybody's Talking About Jamie Film Adaptation Delays Release Again". Playbill. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  78. ^ "Disney delays Everybody's Talking About Jamie musical film release | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  79. ^ Clark, Travis. "'Onward' had the worst opening-weekend box office of any Pixar movie in the Disney era". Business Insider. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  80. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (March 5, 2020). "'Onward' Leads a Weak Box-Office Weekend, and Coronavirus Isn't to Blame". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  81. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 15, 2020). "Weekend Box Office Headed To 22-Year-Low At $58M+ As Coronavirus Fears Grip Nation". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 15, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  82. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 8, 2020). "Box Office: 'Onward' Debuts to $28 Million Overseas Amid Coronavirus Outbreak". Variety. Archived from the original on March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  83. ^ "Pixar's Onward Releases On-Demand Tonight, Hits Disney+ in April". ScreenRant. March 20, 2020. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  84. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 8, 2020). "Pixar's 'Soul' Bypasses Theaters, Sets Disney+ Christmas Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  85. ^ "Disney/Pixar's Luca to Play Exclusive Theatrical Engagement at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre". Boxoffice Pro. June 3, 2021. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  86. ^ Vlessing, Etan (January 7, 2022). "Pixar's 'Turning Red' Headed Straight to Disney+ Amid Omicron Surge". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  87. ^ "Turning Red To Have A Limited Engagement At The El Capitan Theatre". whatsondisneyplus.com. February 8, 2022. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  88. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 13, 2022). "'The Batman' Climbs To $238M+ US Today After Super Second Weekend Hold; Eyes Half Billion WW This Week – Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  89. ^ "Pixar's "Turning Red" on the Big Screen at Grand Lake Theater (Oakland)". Funcheap. March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  90. ^ "Full list of cancelled or postponed film, music and TV events due to coronavirus". The Independent. March 6, 2020. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  91. ^ "Could coronavirus hit more Hollywood films?". BBC News. March 5, 2020. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  92. ^ Rose, Steve (March 12, 2020). "Coronavirus: when binge-watching goes viral". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  93. ^ Donnelly, Matt (March 14, 2020). "Disney Plus to Stream 'Frozen 2' Three Months Early 'During This Challenging Period'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  94. ^ "'Frozen 2' to Debut On Disney+ Months Earlier Than Planned". The Hollywood Reporter. March 13, 2020. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  95. ^ "Disney Pulls 'Artemis Fowl' From Theaters, Will Debut on Disney+". April 3, 2020. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  96. ^ Spangler, Todd (April 17, 2020). "'Artemis Fowl' Premiere Date on Disney Plus Set as Movie Goes Direct-to-Streaming". Variety. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  97. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (May 12, 2020). "Hamilton is getting released a year early as a Disney Plus exclusive". The Verge. United States. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  98. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 3, 2020). "Disney Paid $75 Million For Worldwide Movie Rights To Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton'; Biggest Film Acquisition Deal Ever?". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  99. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 12, 2020). "'The One And Only Ivan' Heads To Disney+; 'Beatles: Get Back' Moves To 2021 & More: Disney Release Date Changes". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  100. ^ Low, Elaine (August 4, 2020). "'Mulan' to Premiere on Disney Plus as Streamer Surpasses 60.5 Million Subscribers". Variety. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  101. ^ Macker, Neil (November 13, 2020). "Disney Finishes Difficult Fiscal 2020 With Strong Q4". Morningstar.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  102. ^ "Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' Temporarily Suspends Production as Director Self-Isolates (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. March 12, 2020. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  103. ^ "Destin Cretton on Instagram: "Last Friday, I decided to be tested for the Corona virus. I was working in close proximity with some people who had potentially been…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  104. ^ "Why Disney Delayed New Mutants But Not Black Widow". ScreenRant. March 13, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  105. ^ "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Release Date, Cast, Villain, News, and More Details". Den of Geek. November 19, 2019. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  106. ^ "Shang-Chi Release Date Confirmed". ScreenRant. July 21, 2019. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  107. ^ "Marvel's Shang-Chi Movie Gets New Release Date". Den of Geek. April 3, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  108. ^ a b c d "Disney Pushes 'Black Widow' Back to 2021". TheWrap. September 23, 2020. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  109. ^ a b Fleming, Mike Jr (March 10, 2020). "Disney Halts 'The Falcon And The Winter Soldier' Prague Shoot Over Coronavirus Concerns". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  110. ^ a b Bonomolo, Cameron (September 20, 2020). "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Disney+ Page Confirms Marvel Series Will Release in 2021". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  111. ^ "'Spider-Man: Far from Home' Sequel Delayed to December 2021". July 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  112. ^ a b McClintock, Pamela; Couch, Aaron (April 24, 2020). "'Spider-Man' sequel delays release to November 2021 amid Sony date shuffle". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  113. ^ a b Pearson, Ben (December 10, 2020). "'Black Panther II' Will Not Recast T'Challa in the Wake of Chadwick Boseman's Death". /Film. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  114. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (March 14, 2020). "Marvel's Disney Plus Shows Pause Production Due to Coronavirus". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  115. ^ A Message from Mark Hamill and Lucasfilm on YouTube
  116. ^ "An Update on Star Wars Celebration 2020". StarWars.com. June 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  117. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (June 16, 2020). "Star Wars Celebration Canceled, Set To Return In 2022". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  118. ^ Chitwood, Adam (July 23, 2020). "Disney Delays a Trio of Upcoming 'Star Wars' Movies by a Year Each". Collider. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  119. ^ Whitten, Sarah (July 23, 2020). "Disney delays 'Mulan' indefinitely, Star Wars and Avatar movies pushed back a year". CNBC. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  120. ^ "Patrick Osborne's Feature Directorial Debut 'Nimona' Gets 2020 Release Date". Cartoon Brew. July 10, 2017. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  121. ^ Galuppo, Mia (April 11, 2022). "'Nimona' Animated Movie Lands at Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022.
  122. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 9, 2021). "Disney Closing Blue Sky Studios, Fox's Once-Dominant Animation House Behind 'Ice Age' Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  123. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (February 9, 2021). "Disney Shutting Blue Sky Animation Studio". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  124. ^ @blueskystudios (April 7, 2021). "A letter from Blue Sky Co-Founder,..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  125. ^ @Project813 (April 10, 2021). "A Blue Sky Studios' last day. The plug has been pulled, and we're all off to new adventures. Best wishes to my Blue Sky family. #blueskystudios" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  126. ^ "Curtains for Broadway: No Shows Until Labor Day, at Least". The New York Times. May 12, 2020. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  127. ^ "West End theatres extend shutdown caused by coronavirus". The Guardian. May 5, 2020. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  128. ^ "Broadway's Frozen Will Not Reopen Post-Pandemic". Playbill. May 14, 2020. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  129. ^ Evans, Greg (May 14, 2020). "Disney's 'Frozen' Becomes Broadway's First Long-Running Coronavirus Casualty: Producers Announce Permanent Closing". Deadline. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  130. ^ Elliot deBruyn; Meg Felling (September 15, 2021). "Crowds Gather as The Lion King Reopens on Broadway". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  131. ^ Gans, Andrew. "The Lion King Roars Back Onto Broadway Starting September 14". Playbill. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  132. ^ Aquilina, Tyler (May 12, 2021). "All the Broadway shows that are reopening this fall". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  133. ^ Disney's The Lion King sets date for West End return, Best of Theatre, March 22, 2021, accessed March 22, 2021.
  134. ^ Akbar, Arifa. "Frozen review – stunning musical extravaganza creates its own magic". The Guardian. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  135. ^ "Frozen confirms new opening plans from August 2021". www.whatsonstage.com. March 10, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  136. ^ Aquilina, Tyler (May 12, 2021). "All the Broadway shows that are reopening this fall". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  137. ^ Johnston, Rich (March 23, 2020). "Diamond's Steve Geppi Confirms Closure, No New Comics After This Week". Bleeding Cool. Avatar Press. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  138. ^ Johnston, Rich (March 31, 2020). "Marvel Comics Pulls All Digital Comics This Week As Well As Print". Bleeding Cool. Avatar Press. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  139. ^ Johnston, Rich (April 28, 2020). "Diamond Says 20th May For New Marvel Comics, Image, IDW and More". Bleeding Cool. Avatar Press. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  140. ^ Arrant, Chris (May 1, 2021). "Canceled or..? The eight 2020 Marvel titles that never came out - and the latest". GamesRadar+. Future US. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  141. ^ Johnston, Rich (March 23, 2020). "IDW Adds Delay, Returnability, Plans For Direct Market To Bounce Back". Bleeding Cool. Avatar Press. Retrieved August 27, 2021.