Disney+arrives in less than a month, but the “Plus” in “Disney Plus” might as well be a dollar sign. “Disney$” is reportedly plunking down $1 billion in original programming alone, though the bulk of that budget goes to new stories in well-known and established franchises. Chief among them are theStar WarsstoryThe Mandalorianand the serialized Marvel mini-moviesThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,WandaVisionandHawkeye, with the latter being the most expensive of the comic series since it features eight episodes to the others' six.
Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney CompanyBob Igeris bullish on their potential as the streaming wars heat up. Here’s what Iger had to say aboutThe Mandalorianin a chat about the future of streaming withTHR:
“[There’s] nothing like it on the air. If you’re going to do a live-actionStar Warsseries, this is the way to do it.”
But theStar Warsseries will only make up a relatively small fraction of the $1 billion venture into original productions. THR reports thatThe Mandalorianis rumored to cost $15 million an episode; at eight episodes (so far), that tallies up to $120 million. That’s a steal compared to the Marvel properties that are lined up.
Marvel seriesThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier,WandaVisionandHawkeyeat as much as $25 million per episode, totaling $500 million, though how you spend $200 million onHawkeyealone is anyone’s guess. Pretty pricey for TV, though Disney+ brass has previously touted movie-sized budgets for their programs, but there’s a hidden cost. Disney is reportedly buying out the backend on all of their original productions, similar to Netflix’s model. Essentially, this means they’ll offer creatives (and possibly lead cast members) more money up front in order to secure future earnings in perpetuity. Backend deals for super sitcoms in the past, likeSeinfeld, continue to pay dividends even now; not so in the future of streaming stories under the likes of Netflix and Disney+. That explains some of the beefy budgets.
The remaining $380 million of original programming goes to titles likeEncore, hosted byKristen Belland seeing adults return to the stage to perform reunions of their high school musicals; the company-friendly employee follow-alongs inOne Day at Disney; and the upcoming live-action launch titles like the Christmas storyNoelleand the redone classicLady and the Tramp.
There’s much more to be explored as Disney+ rolls out, but for now, this is what we know aboutwhat will be available on Disney Plus,how long it will take Disney movies to arrive on the platform, and, who knows,maybe even a holiday special. Stay tuned.
