With the movie Artemis Fowl arriving on Disney+, skipping a theatrical release because of the COVID-19 pandemic and theater closures, another Disney film is following suit in the upcoming months. The One and Only Ivan will be skipping cinemas and arriving on Disney+ on August 21.
Based on the book of the same name by Katherine Applegate, the film follows Ivan (Sam Rockwell), a silverback gorilla who lives in a communal habitat in a shopping mall with Stella the elephant (Angelina Jolie) and Bob the dog (Danny Devito). A newcomer to the habitat reminds him of his life in the jungle which has Ivan questioning his past and where he wants to be. The film also features Helen Mirren, Chaka Khan, Mike White, Brooklynn Prince, and Ron Funches.
“The world has changed in a heartbeat. People all over the globe have shared important, life changing experiences in ways we have not seen for a century,” said director Thea Sharrock. “In response to this, I am so happy that we can share Katherine Applegate’s delightful and original story, The One and Only Ivan with the world this August on Disney+, bringing some joy through this unique movie of true friendship, inspired by a true story.”
Disney+ may have even more films skip theaters to debut on streaming in the future. And it isn’t the only service to feature movies going direct-to-streaming. The Tom Hanks WWII film Greyhound arrives on Apple TV+ on July 10. Additionally, Trolls: World Tour made news when it went right to VOD, and in turn, ended up grossing more money for the studio than the first movie, which debuted in theaters.
Because of theater closures, cinema chains have been hit hard. AMC announced a $2.2 billion loss during the first quarter of 2020, and the losses could see them filing for bankruptcy. Movie theaters are slowly beginning to reopen across the country, with Cinemark in California eyeing the June 19 date, with others following suit soon. However, the only movie to look forward to in the near future is Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which still plans to arriving on July 17.
