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A significant portion of the presentation was dedicated to Star, which will feature programming from Disney properties like ABC, FX, Freeform, Searchlight and 20th Century Studios, which Rupert Murdoch sold to Disney last year. In Latin America, Star + will launch as a standalone service in June and will also include some ESPN coverage of sporting events. (It will be sold primarily in a bundle with Disney +, the company said.)
In Europe, Canada, Australia and several other markets, Star + will be integrated directly into Disney +, adding a lot of more mature programming to the service (“Deadpool 2,” the cartoon series “Family Guy”), which will potentially allow Disney to reach an audience far beyond families.
The addition of a Star channel within Disney + will also justify a price increase of about 28 percent, to about $ 11 per month.
New programming is also heading to Disney-owned Hulu, including the series “Nine Perfect Strangers,” a David E. Kelley mystery starring Regina Hall, Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy, leading Dana Walden, president of Walt Disney entertainment Television, called “juicy content that can’t be turned off.”
Disney-owned FX, which channels its programming to multiple Disney streaming services, is working on a television spin-off of the “Alien” movie franchise and a remake of “Shogun,” the James Clavell saga. along with half a dozen other -profiling projects.
As part of the presentation, Disney spoke about its evolutionary approach to film distribution. The coronavirus pandemic has forced Disney and other studios to delay the releases of big-budget movies (more than half of theaters in the United States are closed) and redirect others to streaming services. In September, Disney debuted “Mulan” on Disney + as part of a “premium access” experiment, charging subscribers $ 30 for indefinite access. Pixar’s latest film “Soul,” will arrive at Disney + on Christmas Day at no additional cost.
Disney said some movies would continue to hit theaters for an exclusive viewing period. Others will follow the “Mulan” model; an upcoming animated film, “Stripe and the Last Dragon,” for example, will be available on Disney + in March for a premium price.
