Disney has made its biggest move yet amid movie theater closures due to the coronavirus pandemic: It’s sending a major film straight to Disney+. “Artemis Fowl,” based on the popular teen crime novels by Eoin Colfer, was due to open in theaters worldwide on May 29, but the likelihood of chains such as AMC and Regal Cinemas fully reopening by then is slim, not to mention the logistical challenges of an international press tour for its stars Colin Farrell and Judi Dench, and director Kenneth Branagh.
So, rather than pushing the release date into the summer, or debuting it on Amazon and iTunes for $19.99, Disney will offer the film to its nearly 30 million Disney+ subscribers for no more than its $6.99 monthly fee, the studio announced Friday.