‘Lightyear’ Hits Disney Plus Wednesday. Here’s When (and Why It Took 6 Weeks)

Lightyear, the first Pixar film since the COVID-19 pandemic began to hit theaters, is finally coming to Disney Plus more than six weeks after it landed in theaters. 

It was Disney’s first foray into giving Pixar an exclusive run on the big screen again, but so far, the response to Lightyear has been underwhelming — enough to spur some outlets to dish out the epithet of it being a bomb.  Before that, every Pixar movie since Onward in February 2020 essentially skipped theaters to stream on Disney Plus instead: Soul in December 2020, Luca in June 2021 and Turning Red in February 2022. And for Disney movies more broadly, the streaming strategy has been all over the map. Encanto spent a month in theaters before streaming.

For Marvel‘s Eternals, it was two. West Side Story hit Disney Plus about three months after it played exclusively in cinemas. The last time Disney moved an animated film from cinemas to streaming, it became a phenomenon.

Next week will prove whether Lightyear will replicate the success of Encanto, or whether the launch of this Toy Story sequel was a misfire all around. 

What time will Lightyear start streaming on Disney Plus? 

Lightyear will hit Disney Plus Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. PT/3:01 a.m. ET.

It will be available to stream with a Disney Plus subscription at no extra cost. 

Why did Lightyear take six weeks to stream?

Last year, ticket sales for adult-oriented movies started bouncing back starting as movie fans emerged from pandemic lockdown and cinemas started opening back up. But family films, Pixar’s specialty, struggled with theater attendance. Parents, compared with other adult filmgoers, were more sensitive to the risks of bringing their young ones into crowded cinemas while the coronavirus continued to mutate and circulate.

The COVID vaccine for children wasn’t available until the day after Lightyear opened, and a kid’s coronavirus infection could mean missing weeks of school or daycare and derailing other family plans.  Putting Pixar movies directly on Disney Plus was, at its core, a strategy to both lure in more subscribers and keep the ones it has. Kareem Daniel, the Disney executive in charge of distribution calls like this, noted in the Turning Red announcement that both Soul and Luca were “enthusiastically embraced” by Disney Plus subscribers when they went straight to the service. 

And by sending three Pixar films straight to Disney Plus, Disney may also have been protecting Pixar’s pristine reputation for critical and box office successes, according to some experts: If Disney doesn’t put Pixar movies in theaters, they can’t have disappointing theatrical runs.  But in the months leading up to Lightyear’s release, moviegoers were flocking to franchise films. Spider-Man: No Way Home was the first film since the pandemic to cross £1 billion worldwide at the box office.

Since then, Top Gun: Maverick has, too, and Jurassic World Dominion and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are close.  But Lightyear’s take, at least domestically, so far has only been about £117 million now. Toy Story 4, Pixar’s last release free of any pandemic disruption, had grossed more than £400 million at this point of its release cycle in theaters. (Worldwide, Lightyear has earned £219 million at the box office.) 

But in the case of another Disney family film — Encanto — the theatrical exclusive period actually appeared to put a damper on its popularity. Encanto was released in theaters Nov.

24 before it became available to stream on Disney Plus, at no added cost to all subscribers, on Dec.

24. That was just one month after its theatrical release. 

Its initial box office performance was mediocre. The film’s total domestic ticket grosses never crossed £100 million. Disney’s Frozen 2 soared well past that during just its first weekend pre-pandemic.  

But once the film started streaming, the Encanto soundtrack climbed Billboard’s music charts to hit No.

1. Videos of its musical numbers are among the most popular songs on YouTube. We Don’t Talk About Bruno, the best-known song from the movie, became a TikTok meme.

But none of that happened until Encanto hit Disney Plus.

When Lightyear hits Disney Plus, it may get the rocket boost it’s needed all along. 

Tags:

alexandra listed on couponmatrix.ukaveda listed on couponmatrix.ukhyperoptic listed on couponmatrix.ukpost-office listed on couponmatrix.ukthompson-and-morgan listed on couponmatrix.ukyougarden listed on couponmatrix.uk
alexandra listed on couponmatrix.ukAlexandra have been the go-to workwear provider for gents and ladies for over 150 years supplying high end, hard-wearing yet stylish outfits for busy professionals in health, catering, construction and a host of other industries. When you redeem your Alexandra discount code you'll be investing in kit that's robust enough to withstand the demands of week after week in some of the most demanding professions around; you'll also be buying outfits that will look fantastic and reassure customers that they're dealing with a true professional at all times.
aveda listed on couponmatrix.ukFrom hair care to styling products and make-up, an Aveda voucher on Groupon will give you reduced rates on a host of plant-focused products from the ethically-minded company. With an aim of connecting beauty, environment and wellbeing, their diverse range includes shampoo and conditioner for all manner of hair types; hair styling items to help you stand out from the crowd; and an array of cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising cream. The online shelves also stock a host of body care items and perfume, each influenced by Aveda’s firm commitment to using natural ingredients. Aveda was founded in 1978, and has flower and plant essences at the core of its practice. It has a strong connection to ayurveda: an ancient holistic system of healing that strives to create balance in body, mind and spirit. In keeping with ayurvedic principles, Aveda strives to use organic ingredients where possible, and maintains a link with Indian firm Nisarga who grow ayurvedic herbs with organic agriculture. It also affirms its mission of environmental care by striving to limit the amount of harmful packaging it produces, using wind power where possible and adhering to the CERES Principles by publicly sharing results. An Aveda voucher code will provide slashed prices on beauty products alive with the life force of plants, containing pure essential oils, and harvested with respect for earth in mind. Aveda’s professional network of 9,000 salons and spas worldwide in addition to its online shop shares its commitment. The professionally-developed, clinically-tested items are designed to provide a natural boost to the lifestyles of men and women alike. So if you’re looking for plant-focused beauty and skin care products formulated with organic ingredients and produced with an agenda of environmental care, pick up an Aveda promo code and find discounts on an array of products today.
hyperoptic listed on couponmatrix.ukBoost your broadband power with Hyperoptic, one of the nation’s best-rated and most affordable internet providers. Ditching the old copper phone wires for fibre links directly to your building, Hyperoptic offers some of the fastest and most reliable broadband in Britain, so you never have to settle for lag or loading screens again. With flexible packages and even monthly rolling contracts, Hyperoptic also promises no price hikes – meaning no nasty surprises mid-contract! Whether you’re always battling for bandwidth or you’re a one-screen kind of household, you can still benefit from one of our Hyperoptic offers and get a really great price on your broadband.
post-office listed on couponmatrix.ukThe chances are, you’re already fairly familiar with the Post Office. A true British bastion, the Post Office is a company you know you can rely on to get your post where you want it to go. When you’re sending some mail, check out our Post Office vouchers and see if you can’t just save yourself a pretty penny. From Lands End to John O’ Groats, Post Office is a company you can trust to deliver your mail.
thompson-and-morgan listed on couponmatrix.ukWith over 150 years of experience in horticulture, Thompson & Morgan are one of the UK’s top seed providers. They stock thousands of seeds including flowers, garden plants, fruits, and vegetables. Whichever variety you’re looking for, you’ll find it here - and when you use a Thompson & Morgan voucher code, you’ll snap it up at the best possible prices.
yougarden listed on couponmatrix.ukIf you need a little green in your life, look no further than YouGarden. Experts in adding some horticultural beauty to any lifestyle, it doesn’t matter if you own a flat or a mansion. Whether you’re growing your first plant or perfecting your row of Begonias, a YouGarden discount code can trim your gardening shop down to a much more affordable price. So get your gloves on and prepare to get them dirty, your green goals are but a few clicks away.