This is despite it being on paper a perfect Disney+ release. Rated PG, it fits perfectly in the streaming service’s “family-friendly” catalog. It stars Ford, star of Disney’s Star Wars movies, and calls back Disney’s tradition of dog-focused movies that goes at least as far back as Old Yeller in 1957.
If The Call of the Wild follows the example of Onward, then we might expect it to come to Disney+ on April 10. However, it does not seem as if the Harrison Ford movie will follow the Pixar film.
When Disney revealed that Onward was coming to digital platforms, it simultaneously revealed its Disney+ release date. When the Mouse House released the news about The Call of the Wild, however, it only revealed its initial digital release date. Though this could be because they are still working out the rights for the movie, it probably means that the movie is going to be longer in coming to Disney+.
According to Disney’s usual release windows, movies come to Disney+ (or Hulu for more adult-orientated fare) four months after their digital release. Of course, usual release windows have been hugely affected by the closure of cinemas, but this means that The Call of the Wild may be on Disney+ in late July.
The Call of the Wild is the seventh of the year’s top 10 box office movies to be given an early streaming release, and is also 2020’s seventh highest-grossing film. During its brief theatrical run, the film brought in around $107 million worldwide.
The six movies ahead of it in the box office chart (Bad Boys For Life, Sonic The Hedgehog, Dolittle, Birds of Prey, The Invisible Man and The Gentlemen) are all available to watch online now.)
Fantasy Island, the ninth highest-grossing movie of the year so far, will be released on April 14. The remaining two biggest movies of the year, The Grudge and Underwater, do not have online release dates yet.
The Call of the Wild is available to purchase on digital entertainment stores now.
