On a recent trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, I was struck as to how Disney continues to bring back previously popular characters in order to keep the marketing of those characters fresh. A Mary Poppins sequel is hitting the theaters this holiday season. And I also noticed how much "Stitch" merchandise was available. It struck me as odd - the movie was released in 2002. One factor may be that Boo loves Stitch.
But here's the other factor:
A live-action version of “Lilo & Stitch” is in the works by the same people behind the upcoming live-action Aladdin movie. The animated movie about a Hawaiian girl and her pet creature named Stitch became a hit, starting a franchise and a TV series.
No release date has been announced and Disney hasn’t said if it will be released in theaters or intended for its streaming service.
The upcoming Disney streaming service is going to be a monster entry in the streaming marketplace. Disney controls the Star Wars and Marvel franchises and it's already being reported that exclusive movies feature the actors and characters from the Avenger movies will be on the service.
While the Disney news is exciting (count me as a Disney geek), the ultimate loser is YOUR WALLET. Increasingly, streaming services will be rolling out exclusive content to try to attract your business. For example, CBS Online has exclusive Star Trek content. But what will you be streaming in 2020? Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, CBS Online, Disney streaming, etc? Each service has an individual cost.
There may be a day when cord cutters long for the bundle.